Legend of Zelda Time Loops
by Lord Circe
Summary: What happens when a Hero, a Villain, and a Princess, all start Looping through time? Wacky shenanigans, of course. Time Loops for the Legend of Zelda series, in the style of the Innortal Time Loops and Saphroneth's MLP Loops.
1. Chapter 1

LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: ACTIVATE!

Author Note: This story is a Time Loop story in the style of Innortal's original Infinite Time Loops, based on the continuations made by Saphroneth.

The divine computer-tree Yggdrasil, which underlies all of creation, is damaged. The various universes have been put into time loops to stabilize them. A single person from each Loop is chosen to be the Anchor, always aware of the Time Loops each time they Loop around. Other may Loop as well, but only the Anchor is always awake. On occasion, two people may act as Anchors, but in most cases, there is only one.

In the Legend of Zelda Universe, however, things are slightly different.

* * *

><p>1.1<p>

Epona smacked her head into her desk. Behind her, Susanoo looked over from where he was casually juggling swords, letting the blades fall and stab into the desk and floor around him.

"mrghn stpd tfrc lnsd dupi"

Susanoo leaned forward. "What was that, your desk is in the way."

Epona whirled around, her hair askew. "It's the stupid Triforce! Every projection says that if I try to loop one of the bearers, the other two will get dragged in and the Loops will crash prematurely. The only Anchor candidate who won't get caught up in all of that is this weird, fairy man who dresses in green."

Susanoo blinked, then looked at her. "You know, fairy isn't really a nice thing to call someone. If he is attracted..."

Epona cut him off. "He is a middle-aged man, who dresses in tight green clothes, and wants to be a fairy. An actual, insect wings, glitter dust, fairy."

Susanoo paused. "Huh, that is weird." Epona's eye twitched and Susanoo looked at her more closely. "You know, you shouldn't frown so much. It might give you wrinkles."

"AUUGGHH!"

In between dodging staplers, swords, and whatever other items Epona could grab to throw at him, Susanoo thoughtfully examined the code on Epona's screen. "Ya know, maybe you could make that Triforce thing the Anchor. It's in most of the universes code, and then those other Anchor candidates will start Looping super quick."

Epona paused in the midst of hefting one of the filing cabinets along the wall, before looking at her screen again. Slowly, she slumped over, her head banging down again. Susanoo watched her for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take that as a yes." Humming happily, he left to go grab a sandwich.

* * *

><p>1.2<p>

Link sighed as he listened to Ganon ranting once again about how he was just a boy, how he couldn't possibly defeated Agahnim, and how he would definitely conquer both the Light and Dark Worlds.

Link still wasn't entirely sure what was going on. He appeared to be living multiple different lives, most of which ended shortly after he beat Ganon, or Ganondorf, or whatever his name was at that point, at which point Link would wake up in a whole new life. He had repeated some of them (the lifetime where he was raised in Kokiri Forest seemed to be the most popular), and sometimes things were different, but for the most part, he just went along and saved the world...again.

Finally, Ganon stopped his monologue and started throwing his trident around. Link ducked and dodged, sidestepping easily, until Ganon's body started to shift. Only this time, he didn't burst into a swarm of bats.

* * *

><p>The side of the pyramid burst open as Link hit it several dozen times with the Magic Hammer, barely slowing as he raced away from the Pyramid, while Ganon, the sentient Cucco Swarm, chased after him.<p>

* * *

><p>1.3 (Mivichi)<p>

The princess of Hyrule frowned as she stared at the dungeon around her. Slightly disoriented, Zelda judged that her Triforce of Wisdom had just activated, giving her memories of past-and-maybe-future lives as it sometimes did, but this time something was odd. She could not be completely certain, but had she not lived this life before?

Something was happening; something other than reincarnation. What she had thought was knowledge from the Triforce could be something else entirely.

It was not the time to think about it. Zelda had more immediate issues to solve.

If she had remembered, she should mentally call Link for help to get her out of the dungeon. Though he would suffer setbacks, Link would eventually save the day, and her kingdom would prosper.

However, in one of her other lives, she had been a swashbuckling pirate. In another, she possessed great skill with stealth and various weapons. Not being the true hero, the Master Sword required another wielder, but Zelda refused to think that required her to always depend on someone else to rescue her.

Clasping her hands together, she concentrated on sorting through her memories and abilities. Archery could be useful. Magic definitely was. In some lives, she learned through the study of scrolls and tomes. In others, the fairies had granted her knowledge if she impressed them or if they needed her help. And in her last life she had introduced one Great Fairy to the concept of a bomb.

* * *

><p>The dungeon satisfyingly turned out not to be constructed to withstand explosions. The noise attracted unwanted attention, but she had planned for it: Agahnim found himself the test subject of an experiment in imbuing any kind of projectile with the properties of the Light Arrow.<p>

Her trial succeeded. The startled and injured sorcerer retreated, promising that Zelda had not seen the last of him. She already knew that. He also said that she would not be able to stop him. She had to disagree.

With a serene smile, Zelda gathered her skirts and exited the dungeon, stepping carefully over the scattered rubble. "This time, I will save Hyrule myself," she promised the world.

She still needed Link to earn the Master Sword, but she could tell him that in person. She looked forward to surprising him.

* * *

><p>1.4<p>

Ganondorf sat on a dusty chair in his Forbidden Fortress. It just couldn't be a coincidence. Not minutes before, a young boy, wearing green, had snuck into his fortress to free the girls that he had captured while searching for the Princess Zelda. Ganondorf had had the Helmaroc King throw him out into the ocean, but the sight of the boy was nagging at his head.

In these odd 'not-memories' that filled his head, he saw countless boys in green, thwarting plans and getting him sealed away. Only in a few of his memories did he actually kill the boy in green and...wait. Why hadn't he just killed him right off? Why wait for him to gain power and skill?

Slowly, Ganondorf stood, an evil smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>Link charged forward, the Master Sword bravely clutched in his hands. He had arrived at the Forsaken Fortress, only to find the dark figure from the tower waiting for him in the middle of the courtyard. Ganondorf, if what Link had been told was true, and the blade in his hands was the only thing that could kill him.<p>

Ganondorf grinned, before catching the blade in his hand. Link was stopped cold, struggling to pull the sword free, when Ganondorf grabbed him by the shirt, wrenching the Master Sword from his grip. Ganondorf then whistled, loudly, and the giant bird that had kidnapped his sister dropped down from the sky. Ganondorf leapt, Link still clutched in his hands, and landed on the leg of the bird, which took off into the sky.

Once they reached the level of the clouds, Ganondorf looked at Link. "No speeches, no final struggles. Just...die". And then...he paused, then quickly turned the struggling hero upside down. Several items fell out of his pockets as Ganondorf shook him, including a Hook, Sail, and a Large Leaf. Ganondorf turned him over. "Sorry about that, just had to be sure you couldn't pull a win out of your hat. Speaking of which," Ganondorf quickly pulled the hat off of Link's head, then held him out, and let him fall.

Ganondorf looked down, and then grinned. No pesky hero to...

Out of nowhere, a massive cyclone of wind whipped up, striking the underbelly of the Helmaroc King and knocking Ganondorf free from his perch. As Ganondorf fell wildly, he was past by Link, who was waving a tiny baton, of all things, which appeared to be directing the Tornado he was riding.

"Oh come on!" Ganondorf spun over, and viewed the rapidly approaching sea. "This is going to hurt."

* * *

><p>1.5 (NMS)<p>

The current Loop had just taken a turn for the strange.

Up until this point, it had been a fairly standard loop. He had just gotten the third Spiritual Stone and was on his way to the Temple of Time to reclaim the Master Sword. Just like usual, Zelda was fleeing the city with Ganondorf hot on her heels.

Except, Ganondorf wasn't the one chasing her.

"Hey, kid! You see a princess come through here?" The man asked as he ran a hand through his pompadour.

Link could only stare in horrified awe.

"Look, kid. I know Zelda has a pretty face, but a wimpy kid like you has no shot. There is only one man worthy of such a beauty!" The man exclaimed as he flex his muscles. "Sure she's a little young right know, but she's going to be a really cutie when she gets older. I can wait 'till then"

Link replied with silence as his mind tried to reboot.

"The silent treatment, aye?" The man asked as he walked closer to Link. "Looks like I'm going to have ta get a little rough with ya. And when you go crying back ta your mama, you can tell her that the one that made ya black and blue was...

The Mighty Groosendorf!"

* * *

><p>1.6 - (Aubergine)<p>

Admittedly it took several loops to pull it off.

There were certain challenges along the way that he just couldn't accomplish without the right gear.

Yet.

Despite that, his adventure had finally proven to be a challenge after who knows how many loops, and as he strode casually through the door at the top of Ganondorf's castle, he couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. There'd be more time in the future to perfect the art, but for now he'd savor the look on his mortal enemy's face as he faced his final challenge.

"So... You've finally arrived..." The redheaded desert dweller rose from his organ, turning around with a sweep of his cloak. "The final battle begins... Draw your... Sword?"

Link said nothing, only continued to walk forward at a casual stroll. He was dressed in the same green tunic he'd always worn, but beyond that... No shield sat on his back, wooden or otherwise. No

sword either. No hook-shot on his belt, no pouch of bombs or even money. No bow or quiver of arrows. No special boots.

"Is this a joke? You seek to defeat me... Me! The master of the Triforce of Power!" Ganondorf roared, filling the air with enough power to break the windows of the tower. Link merely took another step forward and drew a single deku stick from its spot on his back. "With! A! STICK?!"

The hero of time said nothing, merely held out a hand and made a single taunting gesture.

* * *

><p>(1.1) - Epona: The Patron Goddess of Over-Worked Assistants everywhere.<p>

(1.2) - Fear The Cucco. Resistance is futile.

(1.3) - Your princess is no longer in any castle.

(1.4) - Didn't I ever tell you about Ganondorfs? Ganondorfs Bounce!

(1.5) - Whose idea was it to make a Zelda villain based on the 50's?

(1.6) - The Deku is strong with this one.


	2. Chapter 2

**_LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Welcome to the Multiverse!_**

Author Note: We do not own Legend of Zelda. That is all.

* * *

><p>2.1 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>'Next time,' Link thought, 'I'll let the kids do their initiation thing and not try to rush through these events.'<p>

The moon, with its angry monstrous face, descended upon Termina. Link had no ocarina, and thus no way of performing the Song of Time to roll back the clock for another pass through the previous four days, which passed so very fast for some reason. Death was staring him in the face; death from above.

Then an enormous shadow bounded out of an alleyway, jumping up the ledges that hung with architectural improbability from the houses of the town. In no time at all he stood on the tallest spire in the city, one enormous arm wheeling around and around preparing to unleash a tremendous haymaker.

The resulting uppercut sent the moon soaring back up into the skies and out of sight.

In the empty streets of Termina Link stared at the figure as it bounced back down to street level, landing directly in front of him. Large eyes stared intently at him for several long seconds.

Link, being quiet by nature, waited for the other to break the silence.

"Ook?"

The results were less than edifying.

"Oook, ooka ook ook EEK ook ook?"

Link shook his head in total confusion.

The large furry figure put one of his immense hands on his equally immense lips, tapping them in intense thought. Then, inspiration having arrived, he pulled a large wall calendar out of nowhere. The ape pointed to Link, and then to the first page of the calendar. He then flipped forward through the calendar, pointed again, pointed at Link. and then flipped back to the beginning of the calendar, pointing back and forth between the calendar and Link.

"Sorry," Link said. "Don't follow."

This obviously distressed the other figure, to judge by the screaming fit and the huge hands pounding the earth hard enough to shake the walls of the surrounding buildings. Finally, having got it out of his system, the creature covered its head in its hands, shaking it back and forth in despair.

Then it froze, and a large grin appeared on a face that was certainly built for smiling.

The creature pulled a book out of nowhere and handed it to Link. For a moment the letters meant nothing to him, and then the ink rearranged itself into Hylian runes. The title read:

**Ook**

_A Primate - Human Dictionary_

_Unseen University Press, Ankh-Morpork_

* * *

><p>2.2<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf Awoke in a pot. Now, this was fairly unusual for him, though he was rather used to waking up bound in some fashion. The main thing that was worrying was the fact that the pot he was in was full of boiling water.<p>

'Hmm, I didn't think they had it innnAAH HOT HOT HOT!'

Ganondorf leapt out of the pot, which on inspection from where he landed was actually some form of black cauldron. As Ganondorf slowly rose to his feet, he took note of his surroundings. A dusty graveyard, some boy in what appeared to be robes tied to one of the headstones, a balding fat man crying over his arm, which was bleeding from the wrist, and a rather refreshing breeze. Ganondorf looked down.

"Where are my clothes?!"

* * *

><p>As he finished donning the odd robes the cringing man on the ground handed to him, he examined his memories. They were honestly different from anything he had experienced so far. He could not recall any mention of the Triforce or the Gerudo in this universe. Even the name Hyrule was missing from his recollection. Instead, he was a dark sorcerer of some skill, terrorizing an island nation of similarly powered 'wizards', who for some reason remained hidden from those who lacked magic. And he had just gone through a ritual to return him to his body after he was destroyed while attacking...a 1 year old boy. Ganondorf almost felt like killing himself out of embarrassment.<p>

Slowly Ganondorf turned to the boy bound to the gravestone, who was examining him with a sort of detached curiosity. Apparently, this was the boy who had...defeated him before. Honestly, he was happy that this boy at least didn't share in the fashion sense of his other, would-be nemesis. Slowly, Ganondorf shook away the memories of green hats and approached this Harry Potter.

Harry looked up as he approached, looking fairly curious and somewhat bored. Ganondorf towered over him, preparing himself for a grand declaration before he ran the boy through, when he realized that he did not possess a sword. He frowned, flexing his fist, when the boy spoke.

"Who are you?"

Ganondorf paused, before turning towards the cheeky brat (where had that term come from?). "Who am I? WHO AM I? I am Ganondorf, scourge of the deserts, Thief King of the Tribe of the Gerudo. I am the man who shall claim the Triforce, tear down the Goddesses from the Heavens, destroy even Death, and rule, as the One True King of the World."

The boy's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, Ganondorf." He paused. "I thought you'd be taller."

Ganondorf's teeth creaked. "Taller?! I could smite you where you stand. I will crush you like the insect you are!"

Harry tilted his head. "Really." The faint sense of power the boy had seemed to possess before, exploded. A veritable wall of power rushed out, sending Ganondorf staggering back a step. The ropes binding the boy to the headstone burst into flame, then fell away into ash just as quickly. The headstone itself cracked, then blew apart into rubble, pieces of the stonework ripping through the surrounding graves. The boy, no, the young warlock stepped forward, power surging around him, as a thin stick appeared in his hand. "Let's test that, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Ganondorf ducked aside as yet another flaming boulder ripped past his head, gouging a furrow in the earth behind him. Ganondorf brandished the thin blade he had crafted from his magic, which felt, diluted almost, yet more responsive than he could ever remember it being. The boy, Harry Potter, stood in the middle of the graveyard, wand dancing as he ripped apart the landscape and sent it hurtling at Ganondorf. Ganondorf leapt aside as a pair of silver spears hurled past him, and then charged over the greasy stain that was all that was left of the cringing servant that had revived him. In his empty hand, Ganondorf summoned the Flame of Destruction, black tendrils dancing before he hurled it at his foe. A thick sheet of stone burst from the earth and exploded as the black fireball collided with it. Ganondorf himself charged through the burning wall, swiping at the fountain of power he could feel standing beyond it. With a clang, his blade met another. A quick exchange of blows, and then they stepped back, measuring each other.<p>

Ganondorf chuckled, then began to laugh outright. "Never, Never in all my lives, have I faced a magus of such skill as you. Truly, this is..."

"Lives? You're a Looper?" In an instant, the ground had settled around them, the marks of their combat disappearing, as the boy walked forward, holding out his hand. "I didn't know your reality was Looping yet. Congratulations." Stepping deftly around his guard, the boy shook his free hand rather firmly, then stepped back. "So, anyway, shall we continue? I haven't had a chance to really let loose in a while."

"What is this foolishness you speak of? Looper? Reality? You speak of other worlds." Ganondorf paused, then his eyes lit up. "Do you know of the paths to the Sacred Realm? Answer, if you value your life."

Harry blinked. "Huh, usually new Loopers show up on the Hogwarts Express. Well, I guess I'll just have to, HEY!" Harry ducked as Ganondorf swung his blade, sending an arc of black magic shooting over his head.

"Enough prattle. I shall take what you know, even if I must break your spirit to do so."

* * *

><p>"So, in summary, there are Anchors who are the first to Loop in their universe, with other Loopers following soon after. I have no idea why you would be the first one to Loop, but I have long learned that the Loops work in weird ways. Anyway, any questions?"<p>

Ganondorf moaned softly around his split lip. He was currently tied to one of the last standing trees in the area. His clothes were closer to rags, with cuts and bruises covering most of his body, while Harry stood in front of him, his robes slightly torn, but otherwise looking rather chipper - though Ganondorf felt a vindictive pleasure at his blackened eye - with several pages of paper floating around him, various diagrams and pictures drawing and erasing themselves on each paper. Harry idly healed a few of the cuts along his arms, and some of the light bruising along his side as he waited, before moving on.

"Now, I wouldn't normally do this for a villain, but, ah, what the hell. There is this thing called a subspace pocket. Oh, and word of advice, ruling the world? Way too much paperwork. Unless you are the only person left, but that gets boring really quick. So, for the pocket, what you do is..."

* * *

><p>2.3 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>This lifetime had bothered Zelda ever since she remembered herself.<p>

There was peace throughout Hyrule. She had not been able to find Link, and all the legends indicated that Ganon remained strongly sealed. Moreover, the existence of certain neighboring kingdoms puzzled Zelda.

A good portion of her memories of other lives insisted that the kingdoms had never before existed in Hyrule's history. However, her Triforce-granted knowledge of her past lives traced the growth of Hyrule until its borders met that of the Mushroom Kingdom. Her memories had confused her before, but the two sets had never clashed so badly before.

Zelda had no time to sort out what was wrong or right. Today, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom would arrive for a diplomatic meeting.

In Zelda's experience, that meant that this loops villain would be popping up as well. None of the usual Hyrule villains showed any signs of appearing. Did Princess Peach have any enemies?

A strange flying ship with rotors like that of a Peahat's spinners hovered above the palace as the courtiers milled about in panic. Zelda, watching through the window, noticed a cannon aimed at the throne room. She turned to the court. "Get out of here!" she demanded.

They couldn't hear over their own screams. Having never lived in an ocean age, none recognized the metal tube as a weapon.

A missile launched. It had eyes and a grinning mouth. It impacted the castle with a bang that shook the entire structure and tore a hole through the roof.

Zelda swiped her hand as she shouted a spell. It threw a sapphire shield up against the ceiling, catching the shattered stonework. The strain of maintaining the magic made her sweat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda notice Princess Peach move forward. From nowhere, Peach pulled out a pink umbrella that matched her dress. She aimed the point at the center of the room. It shot out a red beam that expanded into a heart shape, pushing everyone except Zelda, the king, and a few of the royal knights out of the room's wide open doors and into the undamaged hallway.

Peach nodded to Zelda, and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief as she let the spell holding the debris slowly dissipate.

A gigantic, red-haired dragon-turtle burst in through the fading shield. He landed in a menacing half-lunge that emphasized the sharp spikes on his shell.

The monster's entire focus was on Princess Peach. "Princess," he thundered, "you're mine!"

Said princess unhurriedly shook out the flowing skirt of her dress before treading far enough away from the king that he would not be in danger. "My sincere apologies, Demon King Koopa, but I have no interest in being kidnapped. It would be best if you returned to your kingdom."

Zelda scrutinized what was apparently the villain of her current life. While looking into the status of the usual villains, she had found information that described Bowser, king of the Koopas.

Testing a theory, she cast a spell to detect evil. Her sight changed, displaying a purple miasma of hatred and madness that clung to King Koopa.

"Your Highness," Zelda called, "he will not listen. He has been affected by the curse of the fallen god, Demise."

The statement caused the king of Hyrule, previously shocked into silence by his daughter's unexpected display of magical prowess, to start spluttering incoherently.

Peach met Zelda's gaze evenly. "What is your usual method of breaking the curse?"

"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here!" complained Bowser.

Zelda considered Peach's question. "I have never encountered any way to remove the curse from the focus of it in the current generation," she replied. "The usual method of dealing with the curse, however, is to seal or to kill the villain using a goddess-blessed blade."

"Stop ignoring me!" Bowser bellowed furiously, flames spouting from his nostrils.

With a serious countenance, Peach pressed a hand against her cheek. "Killing is something I would prefer to avoid," she sighed. "I am afraid I currently lack any weapons that qualify."

Bowser roared and rushed toward Zelda. Having purposefully worn a dress whose skirts hid a slit up the side of her legs, Zelda had no trouble taking up a balanced pose. She gathered her power into her fists, ducked, and uppercut Bowser with a move learned during one lifetime as Sheik. His bellow transformed into a rumbling curse as he flew upwards.

Then Peach was under him. In the space of a moment, the parasol disappeared. A wooden club, not unlike that which children used in certain ball games, replaced it. She held it in an angle which caused it to glow before gracefully smashing it into Bowser.

Peach floated down to the ground as Bowser made another hole in the wall. He left overturned dirt in his wake as he skidded through the castle gardens.

That left Zelda gaping for a moment before she pulled herself together. "If you can hold him off for a few moments," she told Peach, "I have something which should do the trick."

Zelda dashed for the chamber behind the throne room, ignoring the sounds of battle behind her. She threw open a nominally unused cabinet. She slung a quiver over her shoulder. In another moment, she held the Light Bow in her left hand and the Golden Sword in her right.

She rushed back out to the throne room. She made sure to dodge the fretting guards clustered around the king. "Stay here! I can take care of myself!" she barked when a few moved to follow her. They stopped so suddenly that a few toppled over.

With a leap and a twist, Zelda cleared the hole in the wall and landed in the gardens.

Peach swung a steel frying pan. Bowser involuntarily flew through a hedge. The hedge caught on fire shortly thereafter.

"I'm back!" Zelda said to catch Peach's attention. She handed off the Golden Sword. "This should do the trick. All you have to do is stab him."

Bowser broke out of the burning bushes. As he gulped air in preparation for another breath of fire, Zelda put an arrow to her bow. A drop of magic transmuted it into a Light Arrow. The arrow, loosed from the bow, struck Bowser firmly on his head and stunned him.

Peach ran swiftly at the downed Koopa. Whenever he moved to stand, Zelda hit him with another arrow. Peach jumped and stabbed downwards. The sword cleanly cleaved into Bowsers' tail.

Zelda continued to stun him with arrows until he was entirely turned to stone. The airship above hastily flew off.

Peach knelt down to whisper something in the statue's ear and then stood, absently patting the new statue's head as if saying farewell to an old friend. She walked calmly to Zelda and offered the other princess her hand.

Zelda gladly shook it. "Sorry that you were attacked during your stay here."

"Oh, I'm used to it," Peach replied with a giggle. "Are you the local Anchor?"

"What's an Anchor?" Zelda questioned blankly.

Peach put a single gloved finger against her cheek as she tilted her head. "Oh, dear. Let me ask something different. Do you awaken in the same life over and over for no known cause?"

Zelda gave a startled affirmative. "But I have lived many different lives," she added hastily.

They were interrupted by the guards finally getting their acts together. Both the Hyrulian guards and Peach's mushroom-capped retainers were exiting the castle and running for their princesses.

"We need to meet in private later," Peach murmured quietly before the others reached them. "There are many things you need to know." Her lips twitched, and then she smiled warmly. "I am certainly looking forward to our kingdoms' alliance."

* * *

><p>"...and so then, Bowser, of all people, lands on the roof, dressed in the same mask except black. Apparently, he was a long lost cousin of the turtles, or some such thing. Any way, it was most amusing to see Bowser attempting to learn how to ride one of their skateboards."<p>

Zelda laughed as Peach finished her latest story. Zelda had felt that she was rather experienced, given the several lives she had lived. However, Peach had proved that she still had so much to see. Worlds upon worlds existed, and according to Peach, she herself was a relative newcomer to these worlds. Some people had been going through these repeated lives, these "Loops" for millenia or even longer.

Something of Zelda's thoughts must have shown on her face, as Peach set down her teacup to the side. "What is it?"

Zelda looked up, startled from her thoughts. "Nothing. I just..."

Peach smiled sadly. "I may not look it, but I am quite a politician. I can tell when someone is lying. Truly dear, what is troubling you?"

Zelda sighed. "How long? How long did it take before more people started Looping in your Loops?"

Peach nodded slowly. "Ah." She paused. "As I said, I am not the Anchor for my universe. That honor goes to Mario, my dashing hero-in-red. He doesn't talk that often, much like your Link, I understand, but I know that he spent quite some time alone before his brother began Looping with him." Peach winced. "I know that is probably not what you hoped to hear."

Zelda waved her hand. "No, no. It helps to know that I will not be alone in these many lives. Someday, Link will join me. And perhaps my father will as well."

Peach smiled. "That's the spirit." She then stood. "Now, I rather feel like getting some exercise. Come, I will teach you how to play this marvelous little game called Golf."

* * *

><p>2.4 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf sat behind the desk and glared at the trio of minions standing before him, contemplating the injustice of the universe.<p>

Apparently it was not enough that he be bored to tears by conquest in variation after variation of his home world. Apparently being forced to relive, if that was the term, the periods after his death when he became little more than another monster, more cunning but not more thoughtful than the others, was not sufficient either.

No, whatever ill fate it was that kept him repeating his lives over and over again without sense or reason had decided to change the world completely this time. Now, instead of a prince of thieves or a malign wizard or a monster of greed and shadows, he had been reincarnated as an organized crime boss, complete with the "legitimate businessman" and "pillar of the community" false fronts, in a world that bore no resemblance to Hyrule in any of its forms.

The pet was an additional taunt by the cruel universe. Granted, the black and red markings that dominated it appealed to his sense of style, and the fire powers and fighting spirit fit his own personality well. But why, why, WHY did it have to have a pig's face? After so many loops as Ganon the monster, he never, ever wanted to see any pig or pig by-product ever again.

And yet he couldn't hold it against Emboar. Emboar was smart, loyal and competent... which is more than could be said for the trio before him.

"I do not want to hear any more of your sniveling excuses," he growled at last. "I have a simple assignment for you. This assignment is so simple, not even you could possibly fail." Of course they would. Even if he hadn't said the fatal words, this trio would always find a way to lose. What was it about this universe that the most clever plots, the most advanced technology, the most potent magic could all be undone by the wits of an eleven year old child?

The trio groveled and pledged their thanks, their gratitude, their undying devotion to his cause. It would have made him sick if he hadn't heard variants on the same theme for as far back as he could remember.

"Cease your blathering and go!" he shouted, tossing a file folder at them. "I do not wish to hear from you unless you can report success!"

"Have no fear, almighty leader," the female said. "Team Rocket shall not fail you!"

"We have heard your command, and what you wish, we shall do!" the male said.

"Meowth! You betcha!" the Pokemon between them chimed in.

Ganondorf slumped in his chair and groaned as soon as the door closed behind them. Emboar, concerned, put a piggy hoof on his shoulder for comfort. To Ganon's surprise, it helped a little.

'The truly, truly sad thing,' he thought to himself, 'is those three nitwits are ten times as intelligent as the minions I usually get…'

* * *

><p>2.5 - (NMS)<p>

* * *

><p>An overhead swing was blocked by his opponent's twin blades. With nary an effort, his blade was pushed aside. Off balance, he could do nothing as his opponent's foot collided with his head.<p>

For the first time in more Loops than he could count, Link was getting his ass kicked.

His thrust was easily dodged, and his opponent replied by sinking one of their blades into his shoulder. He grabbed onto the offending blade before it could be pulled back, and lashed out with his own. The trapped blade disintegrated as its owner leapt away.

"Why do you continue to struggle?" Fi asked as her sword reformed in her grip. "There is a two percent chance that you will survive this encounter. My victory is assured."

"If you think a little challenge will make me back down, then you clearly don't know me." Link replied as hefted Ghirahim and charged at his foe.

It was amazing, Link mused, what a difference a simple swapping of weapons was. The massive blade of the demon king was an unfamiliar weight in his hands, one that he need one of his various strength increasing items to even wield.

And the spirit of the goddess sword was a much more dangerous opponent than Ghirahim. It wasn't that she was stronger, but more pragmatic. She felt no need to hide behind a weaker form. She didn't risk failure by playing around. Any opening he exploited was quickly corrected.

As his sword was swatted from him, Link looked her in the eye.

Next time, he'd be ready

* * *

><p>2.6 - (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf had been riding after the princess and her guardian to prevent them from escaping with the key he needed to access the Triforce in the Temple of Time. They crossed the drawbridge out of a burning Castle Town when, suddenly, their horse reared in fright and bolted hard to the left.<p>

'What?' he thought to himself, extremely puzzled.

"Sorrycan'tstayforthedramaticmeetingoffuturenenemiesaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" yelled a green-clad boy as he tore past on foot into the burning town.

'Huh?'

Then the veritable cloud of cuccos that had been pursuing the boy descended upon him.

* * *

><p>2.7<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf Awoke feeling calm. Not just calm, he felt almost, serene. As if a cloak he had been wearing for a long time had been lifted. As he stood up from where he was sitting, he began to remember.<p>

He was the Lord of the Gerudo and a close personal friend of the current King of Hyrule. He was a frequent visitor to the palace, and he had been helping the King plan after a prophecy had come out that a green-clad assassin would rise from the Fairy Wood, and would reclaim the land for the chaos of the Fey.

Ganondorf blinked for a second, before grinning. It would be an...interesting diversion, to play the hero for once.

* * *

><p>2.8<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke while falling. While not a new experience, it was still rather frightening to see clouds rushing up to engulf him. He quickly twisted his wings to bring the tips to his mouth to whistle, then paused to think about what he was doing.<p>

"Squak!"

* * *

><p>Batreaux peered out of his window as an odd green Loftwing tumbled past, flapping and honking and obviously having forgotten how to fly. Several seconds later, it swooped back up, crowing loudly.<p>

* * *

><p>Link banked around, feeling the wind rush past his feathers. This was amazing! He felt free, unbound. Just as he curved over the roof of the Bazaar, a familiar whistle pierced the air. On instinct, Link twisted and dove, shooting past the lighthouse and down, towards a falling figure in green.<p>

Link twisted around, and his rider landed squarely on his back. As Link began to climb, his rider spoke. "Oh joy, oh joy, I'm so glad you caught me, my beautiful fairy bird!"

Link froze, his wings stiffening into a glide, then he twisted his head to catch sight of his rider. Chubby cheeks, green outfit, slight paunch...oh no.

A slightly younger Tingle grinned on Link's back. "We must practice if we are to win the race and dance with Zelda. Kooloo Limpah!"

* * *

><p>2.9 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Feeling disoriented, Malon paused in the middle of eating breakfast with her father. Something felt vaguely wrong. Looking around, she determined the difference with only a quick scan of the room. Cuccos should have been wandering underfoot. Instead, she heard the lowing of cows outside the ranch house, which should have been a simpler farm house.<p>

Or maybe not; something about the surroundings tickled at her memories.

The neigh of a horse startled Malon out of her disorientation. Epona, her beautiful flaxen mare, helped pull their wagonload of bottled milk into town every day. Malon wondered if her hero, the fairy boy, would need to borrow her horse again.

Malon shook her head, trying to clear out the strange thoughts. Silly, she chided herself. She had never loaned anyone her horse or met any sort of hero. She had always lived in a ranch house and taken care of the cows. Her father did keep a few Cuccos, but the birds lived in their henhouse. Cuccos would make too much of a mess on the floor.

Really, now that she thought about it, she almost felt like she had lived her life before. They were indeed strange thoughts, if she dreamed of another her dreaming of her own life.

"Is everything all right, Malon?" asked her father, Talon, with concern.

Malon smiled brightly. "I'm fine! I was daydreaming for a moment, that's all," she declared. She took another bite of her omelette.

Talon chuckled. "About what?"

She thought it over as she chewed. After swallowing, she replied, "Horses. Should we get Epona re-shoed before or after the festival?"

Her father reached over to ruffle her hair. "That's my daughter," he laughed, "always the practical one. We have to wait until after, though. Smith is filling some kind of big order, and he does the best work."

"Ah, right, he's working on the sword for the champion," she recalled.

Talon sat back. "Huh, that makes sense. I didn't know what he was up to," he admitted.

When she thought about it, Malon realized that she shouldn't have known that, either. She couldn't work up the appetite to finish her meal.

That day, they went into town with a full wagon-load of milk to sell to the spectators of the sword competition. Malon did not have a chance to go watch it herself, but she consoled herself with the fact that every bottle they sold was a Rupee closer to better gear for Epona.

The next morning turned out much the same; sales kept her busy during the celebration for the victor, a mysterious young man by the name of Vaati. Later, the news spread: Vaati had shattered the legendary Picori Blade, unleashed monsters on the land, and turned Princess Zelda to stone.

Talon was shocked and frightened. Malon, somehow, was not.

* * *

><p>Days later, Link, the grandson of the best blacksmith in Hyrule Town, stopped by their ranch house while they worked outside and asked if they needed help with anything.<p>

He had a new hat, Malon noted. Pointed and conical, it made Link look like someone familiar: a person from her dreams, the fairy boy.

Talon waved off Link's offer of help. "We're fine, Malon and I. The monsters haven't tried hard to get past the fence after I gave a few a good whack with my shovel." He laughed deep in his chest. "We almost had a problem the other day when I'd dropped my key, but it turned out that Malon had grabbed the spare earlier and forgotten to return it, lucky for us." He shook his head. "Being locked out of the house in times like these would have been no good."

Talon turned back to his work, but Malon hovered next to Link, who was looking at her with puzzlement that she did not understand. A dry wind blew around them, ruffling the grass and carrying dust off the road.

Malon met Link's eyes. She thought they looked awfully old for a kid her own age.

Link opened his mouth to say something, then faltered. He glanced back and forth between her and Talon.

"What is it, Link?" she asked.

Link coughed once into his fist. "I know this sounds strange, but have you ever lived this life before?"

The denial she had immersed herself in abruptly found itself withered and swept away. "You, too?" she demanded to know.

The hat suddenly grew a bird head. It opened its beak and exclaimed, "Are you both nuts?"

Malon's warm sensation of reunion vanished as her mind tried to process Link having a talking hat.

Link smiled, unbothered, his eyes glistening. "Everything's all right," he told the bird, "for the first time in ages."

The way Link gazed at her as if she was the only other person in the world was dangerous, Malon contemplated with a flush. She doubted the fairy boy had a clue.

* * *

><p>(2.1) - He's either saying the whole universe is in a time loop, or my uncle is a waterwheel.<p>

(2.2) - There's always a bigger mage.

(2.3) - Don't mess with the princess(es).

(2.4) - Prepare for trouble, Make it the Triforce!

(2.5) - The odds are in her favor.

(2.6) - Cucco Bomb Development is a risky business.

(2.7) - Turnabout is a fair vacation.

(2.8) - My pin feathers are Tingling.

(2.9) - Malon is the girl next door...again and again and again.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE LEGEND OF ZELDA LOOPS: MALON JOINS THE FRAY!**

Author Note: I do not own Legend of Zelda, nor can I take credit for most of the ideas in these Loops. The author of a given Loop is credited by the Loop Number. I did write the footnotes, though.

And, Begin!

* * *

><p>3.1<p>

Zelda sighed internally as she lay across the back of the horse, Impa riding behind her. So far, this Loop had been fairly ordinary, though there had been something odd about Link when he had come to see her in the courtyard. In any case, she had decided to follow the script so far. She glanced over to toss the Ocarina of Time in the moat for Link, except...he wasn't there.

Zelda's heart skipped a beat. Was this actually a Variant Loop? Before she had time to try and reach out to Link telepathically (she had gotten better at it over the Loops), a sharp clatter of hooves revealed his location. Link, atop his horse Epona, charged in-between the fleeing horse Zelda and Impa were riding and the pursuing Ganondorf. In his hand, Link held a long bow that was hauntingly familiar to Zelda, with a glowing, silver arrow notched to fire.

*THOCK* Ganondorf reeled on his horse as the arrow embedded itself in his upper forearm. Two more arrows followed in quick succession, and Ganondorf fell from his horse. As he struggled to rise from the ground, Link leapt from Epona's back and drew a sword. Zelda started as she recognized it as the Master Sword. Ganondorf's look of shock was frozen onto his face as the blade pierced into his skull. With a flash of light, he turned to stone, before crumbling away.

"That was for Tetra"

Zelda almost didn't catch the soft declaration from Link, but as she did she quickly slid out from the saddle, twisting to land on the ground, and ran back towards Link, heedless of Impa's shouts behind her.

Link turned at her approach, his head tilted, and then his eyes widened as she tackled him in a hug.

"You're Awake!"

Link looked stunned as he stared up at her from the ground, before his countenance brightened. "You've finally started Looping?"

Zelda frowned. "I've always been Looping. I...I'm the Anchor."

"Actually, you are both Anchors."

Zelda and Link paused, before twisting to look at the source of the voice. Epona stood there, calmly, chewing on a few blades of grass. She tossed her head and spoke again, "After all you two have seen, a talking horse throws you off?"

Before she could react, Zelda found herself dumped on the ground as Link rolled and rose to his feet, the Master Sword in his hand, and planted himself between her and Epona. Epona giggled and then, changed.

In her place stood a tall woman with chestnut brown hair. She practically glowed, and some part of Zelda told her that this was a goddess. The goddess smiled at the two of them. "Hello, my name is Epona. I'm not the horse that you usually know, I am simply temporarily borrowing her mortal form to communicate with you. Ordinarily I would go through the Golden Sisters, but I thought this was something best explained in person."

* * *

><p>Zelda and Link stood stunned as Epona finished explaining about her position as an Admin of Yggdrasil and how the Triforce was set up as Anchor. As she finished, Zelda had only one question.<p>

"If...if we are Looping because of our connection to the Triforce, does that mean that Ganon could loop too?"

Epona frowned slightly. "He already is."

* * *

><p>3.2 - (Mivichi)<p>

Malon had thus far had spent several Loops, as Link thought of the repeated sections of their lives, as various incarnations of herself. Link always remembered himself during the loops. He told her she rarely did, at least from his perspective, but he appreciated her occasional company nonetheless.

As it was, Malon could do little to help him with his near-constant campaigns against Ganon or Vaati aside from providing Epona and supplies to the hero. She spent her free time learning more about whatever took her fancy: horses, farming, medicine. One loop she spent working out how to breed new varieties and colors of Cuccos.

When she had remembered herself this time around, she had been excited at exploring the Hero of Time loop more thoroughly. It should have been fun.

It would have been if Link had remembered her.

Malon wondered how Link dealt with it, being alone in loops all of the time. She refused to let it affect her, however, and ensured that Link had access to Epona and went about his business with as few obstructions as possible. Her Link had explained how the events usually played out.

She just had to survive the next ten years without him.

* * *

><p>How naive she had been to not consider other possibilities, Malon later realized.<p>

The ten years had passed as expected, if not precisely pleasantly. Link had come to the ranch one last time as he readied himself to face Ganondorf in what would be their final battle. And then the sky had darkened as if a thunderstorm approached.

Ganondorf appeared in all his dark majesty in the center of the ranch, ambushing Link with a prepared spell to disarm the hero. With a flick of Ganondorf's hand, Link and the Master Sword flew in two different directions. Link landed heavily against the fence of the enclosure, knocked unconscious when his head struck the iron bars.

Sheltered by Epona and beneath Ganondorf's notice, Malon watched in numb horror. Shaking, she could not get herself to move.

Ganondorf stalked towards Link. The Gerudo king drew his sword.

Malon wanted to scream. The sound stuck in her throat.

And Ganondorf cut off Link's head.

Malon watched it roll across the bloodstained ground, disbelieving tears in her eyes. This should not have happened. Ganondorf was not supposed to win.

"There," Ganondorf spoke to Link's corpse with satisfaction, "you will no longer impede my rule. I will be sure to end you here again when I next repeat this life. It works quite well."

Malon bit back a gasp as understanding hit her. Ganondorf, not Link, had Looped this time. Ganondorf had Looped before. He had spent the past ten years planning to win.

Link would be back with the next Loop. No one remained who could save Hyrule in this one. The Master Sword lay by her side, clean and shining despite rolling through the grass and soil, entirely useless without a wielder.

As Ganondorf laughed madly, Malon picked up the sword with arms strengthened by years of farm labor. Without a thought to the consequences, she rushed Ganondorf with the Master Sword held steady.

As focused on Link as the evil king was, her charge surprised him. As he turned to look at her, the sword was sliding smoothly between his ribs, a lucky strike. In the next instant, she was flung back on the dirt. He had hit her with a curse.

She felt cold, and pain. Warm, red liquid soaked the front of her blouse as she shivered.

Ganondorf began to slowly turn to stone. "Damn you!" he snarled as he watched her past his already deadened fingertips. The gray traveled slowly, steadily up his arm. "Who are you to do this to me?"

Malon might have told him could she still breath easily. Instead, she smiled at him. He had lost after all.

The pain slowly faded. Her vision darkened.

The world went away.

Next thing she knew, Malon found herself on a pirate ship.

* * *

><p>3.3 - (Mivichi)<p>

"Why the heck am I on a pirate ship?" Malon puzzled aloud even as the loop memories flowed through her mind.

Formerly of Windfall Island, Malon had been orphaned at a young age and left with her father's house and henhouse. One day, a young girl named Tetra had come ashore with a band of pirates and spontaneously decided to steal Malon's Cuccos.

Malon had ended up saving Tetra from the angry Cucco Swarm, and then both she and her Cuccos were offered a place aboard by the late pirate captain. The pirates regarded Malon well because, they claimed, her Cuccos made the tastiest eggs in the Great Sea.

Malon stayed for Tetra, who had been her first real friend.

And that led to the present. Tetra was standing to her right, looking through a telescope from the vantage point in the crow's nest. At Malon's words, Tetra had turned to Malon with a quizzical expression.

"Remembering a different lifetime?"

"In another age," was all Malon said.

Tetra pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah!" Then she started shaking Malon's hand. More quietly, she whispered, "I've never met another native looper besides Link. It's nice to really meet you!"

Malon blinked at the term "native". "Um," she began.

Tetra looked concerned. "You are a looper, right?"

"Ah, yes? Time loops? Different lives?"

Tetra nodded vigorously. "That's right. Do you need the 'welcome to the multiverse' speech?"

"Multiverse?" Malon asked weakly. The roots of the word gave it a pretty obvious meaning, but comprehending it was another beast entirely.

"Thought so. Come on, let's go to my cabin," replied the pirate before proceeding to push Malon towards the ladder, ordering a crewmember named Zuko to go on watch in their place.

* * *

><p>"So that's that," said Tetra later that day. "Any questions?"<p>

Malon's head swam. Tetra was Princess Zelda. Princess Zelda was a pirate (and enjoyed the opportunity to speak like one). Hyrule was underwater. Zelda had seen at least one other world.

The gods in charge of their loop had purposefully chosen the Triforce as the Anchor, even though they had known Ganondorf would loop.

Wanting to scream, Malon tried to hold in her emotions, gritting her teeth and breathing heavily. She refused to cry or scream or…

She couldn't predict what she would do.

"So," Zelda asked archly, "what did my sofa ever do to you?"

"Ah?" Malon glanced down. Without realizing it, she had ripped into the teal cushions until the one she sat upon leaked its downy stuffing. She loosened her grip and clasped her hands, ashamed at her loss of composure. "...It's nothing."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Malon fisted her hands and rested her forehead against them, swinging her legs and fidgeting. Zelda sat much more calmly. She had her head cocked and observed Malon with one eye.

Finally, Zelda spoke. "C'mon, you can tell me," she coaxed gently.

Malon remained silent for a few moments longer. "I… I met Ganon during my last loop. The looping version," she slowly admitted, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. "It wasn't… I…"

The memory engulfed her mind: Link beheaded, Ganondorf skewered, herself mortally wounded. The sword had stabbed into him so easily. Malon could still smell the blood, all three of theirs mixed together. Her nausea rose swiftly. She turned just in time to heave on the floor instead of Zelda.

The pirate wordlessly held Malon's hair back, soothingly stroking her head as she heaved and cried. When Malon had settled enough, Zelda fetched a clean towel, an empty bucket, and a glass of fresh water. She wiped Malon's face and proceeded to clean the floor while Malon gargled the water.

Then, Zelda carefully drew the story out of Malon. The pirate kept one arm wrapped around the shoulders of the farm girl. Malon clung onto the other's hand, grateful for the support.

After Malon finished, Zelda ruminated over the tale. "You did well, you know, especially for someone who's barely started looping. You're stronger than you think. I won't say the first times are always the worst, but…" The sentence trailed off.

Malon, unsure if she wanted to know, asked, "First what?"

"Deaths. Kills. As long as you think like a person and not a monster, both can be hard." Zelda smiled wistfully, eyes full of old regrets. "Do you want to be able to do more?"

Malon met Zelda's gaze and nodded shakily.

Zelda's smile brightened. "Good. I have a few ideas on what you can do. First, let me show you something called a subspace pocket."

* * *

><p>Malon stood in front of the entrance to a fairy fountain. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked Zelda nervously.<p>

They were travelling around the ocean while an Unawake Link quested to take down Ganondorf. Zelda had plans for how to make the process easier, and meanwhile she had tossed Malon at what Zelda considered necessary training. The fairy fountain visit was the next step.

"Look," Zelda said seriously, "energy manipulation - like Hyrule's magic - is something you can use in almost all loops. The first step is learning how to do it, and it's easiest to get the foundations from your home loop if you can."

"I thought Great Fairies rarely helped anyone but heroes," protested Malon weakly. She couldn't imagine herself as a sorceress like Zelda.

Zelda waved off Malon's worry. "The fairies serve the goddesses, and most deities are what're called Loop Aware non-loopers," the pirate replied. "It will be fine. Besides, the Master Sword let you use it. You're hero material."

"All right," Malon said dubiously. She entered the pink conch house and dropped through the hole in the ground.

The interior was spectacularly beautiful. The smooth water of the fountain gently reflected the light of a small golden fairy above it.

Malon walked up to the edge of the fountain. The fairy dramatically swirled amidst a burst of light, and a green Great Fairy replaced her. Humanoid, but with an inhumanly smooth face and a ghostly body, the fairy practically hummed with power.

"Greetings, child," the fairy spoke with a musical voice, resonant as water in a crystal chalice. "What is it that you seek?"

"Whatever you think it best to give me," Malon replied firmly, "even if that is nothing."

Light again swirled around the fairy. Two of her dark hands cupped themselves, and the other two hands guided her breath towards the lotus that had appeared in her other palms. The petals swirled around Malon, who heard joyous laughter as the glow enveloped her.

When the light had returned to normal, the fairy smiled down at Malon, who felt strangely warm and energized. "Dear child, we are glad to help anyone so loved by the goddesses."

Knowledge flowed from the Great Fairy into Malon even as the fairy explained aloud, "You have always had magic, though you realized it not, else you would not have eternally reconnected with your equine companion. The strength of your call has increased. Now, you may ask any animal for its aid."

Shaking off her stunned surprise, Malon curtsied deeply and gratefully. "Thank you," she said with a sincere smile, "I am honored."

With another tinkling laugh, the fairy swirled and disappeared in another burst of light, leaving only a scattering of tiny golden fairies behind.

Malon turned to walk into the glowing circle that would transport her back to the surface. Next time she saw her Link, maybe she could adventure with him.

Back on the surface, she tackled Zelda and broke into giggles. "I have magic!" They whirled each other around in a joyful dance until they were breathless and dizzy. "Say," Malon inquired as fought her breathing back under control, "do you know any good spells?"

Clapping her hands with glee, Zelda beamed at Malon. "Let's see what I can teach you," was her reply. "How do you feel about explosives?"

* * *

><p>On the roof of Ganon's Tower and carefully wrapped in a cape enchanted for invisibility, Malon watched Zelda, now looking distinctly like a princess, carefully orchestrate for Ganondorf to "win" the Triforce from Link and Zelda. The former was nowhere near as unconscious as she pretended.<p>

The golden artifact appeared. That was Malon's cue. Touching one hand against the Triforce, she felt extraordinary power float through her body. She dropped the cloak in the middle of Ganondorf's monologue.

"Heehee, I got here first," Malon giggled. Behind her, King Daphnes let out a yelp of surprise. "Aaaanyways," she said, "my wish is for there to be plenty of fish and other non-man-eating life in the Great Ocean. It's not such a bad place to live, really, but more food sources wouldn't hurt. Neither would a little more land, maybe, but fish would be nicer."

The Triforce burst into light and disappeared.

"Fish?" both Ganondorf and the Hylian king exclaimed.

Ganondorf roared in anger. "Fish! All the power in the world, and you ask for fish!"

Malon hummed while activating her magic power. In the ocean above, she felt the presence of all the new animals. The Golden Goddesses had been kind - vindictive, from another perspective.

Walking backwards with a childish, dancing sway, Malon grinned mischievously and maintained eye contact with Ganondorf.

Then, the waters of the ocean began to pour down, and a pile of fish fell on him.

When the fish flopped around in a desperate search for water, Zelda cast a spell that washed them off the sides of the tower and into the swirling Great Sea that now covered the ancient lands of Hyrule. Ganondorf, despite being uncovered, remained on the ground, unconscious and twitching.

Raising an eyebrow, Zelda turned to Malon. "Did you just kill Ganondorf with fish?" she demanded to know.

Malon blushed and wrung her hands. "He's still alive!" she argued.

"Barely!"

Turning quite pink, Malon admitted, "I think those were all either poisonous or a little magical. Thank the Triforce."

Zelda's other eyebrow joined the first. "Huh, nice." Turning her attention elsewhere, the princess nudged Link with her bow to rouse him. "Okay, hero, Ganon is out of it. You're up."

* * *

><p>3.4 - (Zap Rowdowser)<p>

Link looked around. The puzzles filling this mechanical dungeon had been complex, but nothing he couldn't handle with a few hookshots, switchhooks, and liberal use of the bunny hood, pegasus boots, and Roc Cape. Only the boss was left, and if she wasn't lying about the oddly colored gas being piped in, he only had a few minutes to fight the battle. He ignored her taunts about his parentage and evident obsession with Tolkein entirely; it was clearly an attempt at distraction and none of her missiles were doing more than glancing damage. Admittedly, he wasn't sure who his parents were this loop either, but he didn't much care for Tolkein, he couldn't sit still long enough to read a book that length. Putting one of his several Ocarinas of Time to his lips, he played the familiar Song of Healing, as he had promised Chell when she had Looped in as Medli.

No sooner than he had finished, a translucent human form departed from GLaDoS' core towards a great light above that appeared out of nowhere. Looking closely, he could see, in the light, the general outline of a bearded, balding man; Cave Johnson, probably, if the portrait he saw while exploring for anything useful was accurate. There was a faint gust of wind that sounded like a thank-you rushing from the spirit; pointy human-loop ears never were as good at hearing spirits as real Hylian ears.

As the light of the gate to the afterlife faded, it gathered into a mask, as per the standard for that song, which fell to the ground as the poisonous gas ceased to flow. This mask, unusually for such masks, looked largely human, although there were metallic and plasticine aspects to it that resembled the harness hanging from the ceiling above him. Judging from the hair, it was female. Early on, Link had been surprised by how hominid the masks and forms they gave him could be, compared to the spirits the masks derived from; he had long since ceased to be surprised after the fifteenth mask gained from putting an animal gave him a bipedal form, so the lack of resemblance of the mask to the metallic and plasticine core the spirit had been trapped in was curious, as always, but no longer confusing at all. Link shrugged, and put the mask into his subspace pocked. He'd find a use for a female cyborg form eventually.

* * *

><p>3.5<p>

Zelda awoke to scorching heat. That, in and of itself, wasn't that unusual. Most of the towers that she woke up imprisoned in seemed to have absolutely no ventilation. However, the light shining in her face and the wind howling told her she was in the desert. She sat up from the bed she was laying on and glanced around. From her skin tone and, she pulled a strand of her hair in front of her face, her hair color, she was almost certainly a Gerudo. Those were always interesting loops. Idly, Zelda wondered if she would be the long lost Hyrulian Princess, or if it would turn out that Nabooru switched places with her. As her Loop memories slowly filtered in, she paused. She had arrived well before she usually did, and...

"Mom, mom, look what I found!"

A red-headed Gerudo child burst into the tent, a thin, broken sword clutched in his hands. He waved it around excitedly, and her Loop memories led her to speak without thinking.

"Be careful, my little Ganondorf. We don't want our strong protector to lose an eye, now do we?"

Oh boy.

* * *

><p>Zelda, or rather, Zeviru, as she was named in this Loop, sat up in bed weakly. Over her time in the Loops, she had gained enough magic that she could stave of most sicknesses almost unconsciously. Unfortunately, that meant that when she got sick, she got hit hard.<p>

She looked up as the flap of her tent opened, and Ganondorf stepped in. It was still so odd to see the Evil King standing there and not feeling at least a little fear, though she did feel a bit of a mother's apprehension at the lopsided smirk Ganondorf was wearing.

"I'm off, Mother."

Zelda smiled. "Oh, and where is my little Gan-Gan going now?"

His smile twitched, and then fell. "Please don't call me that."

Zelda smiled wider. "Oh, but you will always be my little Gan-G..."

Ganondorf coughed, loudly, before straightening. He struck his "Guardian of the Desert" pose, staring out of the tent flap, and Zelda smiled as she looked at the man her son had become. "And isn't that an odd thought, Ganondorf as my son."

"Soon. Soon, you will no longer have to live in this ragged tent, underneath the heat of that unbearable sun. Soon, the Gerudo people will take their rightful place. I, Ganondorf, shall see to it. I shall bring our people to greatness!" He turned to look at her and grinned. "Mother, tomorrow I ride...for Hyrule!"

Zelda froze, then sighed. "I suppose I knew this day was coming." She opened her eyes, and smiled, wanly at him. "Son, I have some things to tell you before you go."

* * *

><p>Ganondorf sat, transfixed, as his mother finished her tale. She was staring down at her thin blanket, obviously lost in thought. Ganondorf sat back, thinking on what he had just learned, of Loops and Anchors and his... other self. Then, he began to laugh.<p>

His mother looked up at his laughter, her face drawn in confusion. He stood, raising his arms up in his joy. "My victory is assured. By right of birth, I am both King of the Gerudo, and the rightful heir to the throne of Hyrule. I shall unite both under my reign, and bring all people together in my most glorious nation. Fear not, mother, for I shall reclaim thy throne!" Still laughing, he spun and exited the tent.

Zelda, sat there, before a coughing fit broke her out of her reverie. "Well, that wasn't what I wanted him to get out of that. Poor Link." She paused, then shrugged. "Payback for trying to get my attention by throwing a Cucco through my window." Zelda shuddered.

* * *

><p>3.6 - (Crisis)<p>

Zelda brushed her hair as she reflected on how she'd learned that Hyrule was in a Linked Loop with its mirror counterpart Lorule. It had been difficult, since there was only one variation of her Loop so far that naturally had anything to do with Lorule, but the indicator was hardly subtle.

It was hard not to notice when an invasion you were fully expecting simply failed to happen.

So she'd investigated, slipping through the dimensional barrier between the mirror universes that was cracked and weak this Loop, and encountered a Loop-weary Hilda who was fully willing to let her kingdom collapse if it meant sparing other realms. The eternal chaos of Hyrule's mirror counterpart had worn Lorule's Anchor down over the course of the Loops until she was ready to simply give up.

And Zelda couldn't have that. Link may have had a number of lady friends over their numerous lifetimes before and during the Loops, including ones that Zelda found were quite pleasant to socialize with, but none were the kind of female peer that Hilda was. So she'd taken matters into her own hands and arranged a deal with the evil Yuga that she'd felt would lure Link into saving Lorule when he quested to defeat the threat to Hyrule.

It hadn't been until later that she'd even considered that Demise's curse might have helped guide that particular decision.

But it had worked. Link had defeated Yuga, and Zelda had discussed the Loops with the sole Lorule Anchor and come to a decision. Hilda had agreed to allow events to proceed as normal if she could not forestall disaster in Lorule on her own, and regardless of events she and Zelda would make time in those rare Loops where the boundary between their universes was thin enough to cross.

It had been rare to see Hilda, but so wonderful each time. They talked about their lives, the Loops, their respective off-and-on paramours (Ravio had apparently started looping soon after their agreement), and generally did the things normal girls got to do when they socialized but princesses like them didn't. Hilda was particularly interested in stories of fused Loops since she and Ravio apparently didn't get out of Lorule much.

One of the things Zelda talked with Hilda about at times was her hobby of trying to arrange possible alternate histories for future Loops, and the wildly varying heritages that she'd ended up with as a result. Hilda had taken to poking fun at her for being unable to stick to a single hair or eye color in response, and so she'd planned a prank in retaliation. The variation in her appearance wasn't for Link, though she hoped he appreciated it as well.

The resemblance between her and the fellow Anchor of Lorule was uncanny in any Loop. Now it was downright spooky.

It had taken several Loops of finding a dark-haired Sheikah that was suitable to court, but finally the history had taken for the current Loop as her genetic heritage and the serendipity of the Loops had done the rest. Her hair was a deep indigo. Her eyes were crimson. Her complexion just the slightest bit darker than than was usual in the baseline. She'd had the dress and regalia she was wearing custom made to match Hilda's preferred garb down to the stitch. She knew because she and Hilda tended to raid each other's closets whenever they got together and she'd kept a few in her subspace pocket (that she'd rather not be damaged if Hilda was less than amused). And her makeup was a textbook match for what Hilda normally used.

She could easily be taken as Hilda's identical twin.

She felt the portal form behind her and Hilda step through. Her counterpart's magical signature was unmistakable.

"Zelda," she heard the princess of Lorule call out flatly. She didn't sound amused.

Zelda turned around, and was promptly blindsided by hysterical laughter as she caught sight of her counterpart. Apparently the Loops had a pretty good sense of humor too.

Hilda, on the other hand, was most decidedly not amused.

"Why. Am. I. Blonde?"

* * *

><p>3.7<p>

Ganon stormed into the pitiful Hyrulian Ranch, smashing down the gate as he went. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to pay back that wench for what she did. A couple loops burning this place to the ground would be cathar"BAWK!"

Ganondorf looked down at the ground. A small white Cucco sat there, tilted over from where he had kicked it in his rage. Looking at it laying there was niggling at a memory, but he couldn't remember"BAWK!"

Ganondorf looked up, just in time to see the White Death descending.

* * *

><p>3.8 - (gibbiousmoons)<p>

Something was wrong.

Link stirred on his bed, pulled the covers off of his chest and sat up so he could look out his window. The familiar view was of a maze, and a small chest. He was in one of the stranger times for him to reincarnate, then. He was Link-the-boy-with-no-fairy. The young boy smiled. There was something he'd been wanting to do, for old time's sake.

Just then, a blue speck of light flew through his treehouse' door. "Wake- oh, you're already awake." Navi said. "The Great Deku Tree wants to see you, Link!"

"I'll be right there!" He said, and leaped out of bed, his old/new friend trailing behind him as he rolled off the balcony to the ground below.

Hopefully nothing much had changed, because Link was looking forward to meeting his friends again the old fashioned way.

* * *

><p><em>Some time later...<em>

"Something's wrong." Zelda said, laying down and looking up at the blue sky.

Beside her, Link blinked himself back into full wakefulness. "What?"

"Don't you think we've been sitting here a little longer than usual?" They'd been waiting to catch of glimpse of Ganondorf through the hall's window, so they could tell which particular variant they were dealing with this time.

"It's only been a few hours." Link said, but frowned. "Are you sure he was supposed to come talk to your father today?"

"Of course."

Link mumbled something under his breathe.

"What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything!"

"No, you definitely said 'well excuse me, princess!'"

Link waved his hand. "So what if I. . . Hey Zelda?" His hand hung in the air.

"Yes?"

"Doesn't Impa usually come throw me out if we make too much noise? And where are the guards?"

The pair of Anchors climbed to their feet, and peered about intently. Link reached out and drew his Kokiri blade, the only sword that really fit right in his child-sized hands. Trying to use the Master Sword or any of his other blades, especially Biggoron's Sword, while in child form just didn't work. "Come on." He said, and took off for the exit with Zelda hot on his heels, a bow in her hands.

No Impa barred their way, and no guards were anywhere to be found as they charged down the path to Castle Town, and the distant sound of screams.

A mere minute later, they arrived, and Link swallowed dryly, but hefted his sword and shield nonetheless. Zelda drew her hand through the air, pulled an arrow forged of light and nocked it to her bow. "Oh no." She whispered.

"Oh Yessss." Ganondorf hissed, drawing out the last syllable as he flexed his fingers and pulled his sword out of the ruin that had once been the Temple of Time. A glowing triangle appeared on his hand, then vanished, and Hyrule's third Anchor snarled, "I've been waiting for this, Hero. This time. . . no cheating."

* * *

><p>3.1) I guess Mister Ed isn't the only talking horse in the world.<p>

3.2) Heroes need not wear green.

3.3) One fish, two fish, pile on you fish!

3.4) You call this a dungeon? Where are the flaming bats?

3.5) Behind every conqueror of the world, there is an exasperated mother.

3.6) Mirror mirror, Hi and Lo, where did all my black hair go?

3.7) The Cuccos LIKE Malon.

3.8) Now, the real fights begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: In Which Ganondorf becomes...Magnificent!**

Author Note: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, or many of the ideas displayed in this fic. I am simply a humble chronicler compiling these stories for your amusement. Now, BE AMUSED!

* * *

><p>4.1<p>

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not!" Hild slammed both of her hands on the desktop, rattling the screens. Skuld stood on the other side, with Epona nervously seated beside her. Hild raised her hands to point at Skuld.<p>

"I have been working tirelessly with all of you to ensure that Yggdrasil doesn't go into a Full System Meltdown. I even agreed with you on having people on 'your side' act as the Anchors for the Time Loops, as Destruction isn't exactly what we need at this point. But!" She raised a single finger into the air. "I will not let you lock out an Evil Anchor, just because he caused your heroes some trouble."

"Some trouble?!" Skuld pointed at the screen in front of Epona. "He's crashed the Hyrule Loop six times in a dozen loops. Even Susanoo's Chosen Brat, Kamina took thirty to do the same thing. And, he shows no sign of stopping!"

"But can he break it?" Hild stepped forward, looking towards Epona. "I've read the articles. You used the Triforce as an Anchor, and didn't you set it to always seek the Balance of the Universe over all?"

Epona nodded weakly. "Yes, I mean, he can't use the Triforce to Ascend or permanently damage the Loop, as it just forces a Reset if that happens, but he is still..."

"Doing exactly what the Triforce expects him to do." Hild turned to look at Skuld. "Thanks to the choices you lot have made for Anchors, most of your universes are horribly unbalanced. Your little golden pyramid understands that it needs good and evil to balance its universe."

Skuld was silent for several moments, before she stormed out of the room, pausing just before she left to utter a terse "Fine." Hild smirked after her, then turned to Epona and smiled. "Keep up the good work." She left moments later.

Epona sat there for a moment, then turned to her station and sent off a message. She needed some stress relief, and it was amazing the massages one could give when one had eight limbs.

* * *

><p>4.2<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared out at the devastation that covered Hyrule Field, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Moblins, soldiers, fairies, Gorons. The field was littered with bodies. Three, in particular, stood out to Link.<p>

The first was Impa. The loyal bodyguard of Princess Zelda lay near the gates of the town, a circle of Moblins and Redead surrounding her as a testament to the fact that, while kind and caring, she was truly a force to be reckoned with.

The second, bizarrely, was Tingle. Over the course of the Loops, Link had learned of the existence of a demon named Uncle Rupee, who was apparently a spirit of Greed that sometimes was responsible for turning ordinary men into...Tingles. Link had quickly learned how to beat him, as apparently Rupees acted as both his power source and his weakness. In this Loop, however, the local Tingle had apparently had dreams of being a hero, inspired by tales of some of Link's past incarnations. This Tingle had not only defeated Uncle Rupee, but had also stripped him of his magic and power, becoming a mighty force for good. The broken forms of the three dragons, Gleeok, Aquamentus and Volvagia certainly showed Tingle's heroic potential.

The third was Zelda. They had both been Awake this Loop, and they had felt the pressure from the Triforce that indicated that Ganondorf was soon to be Awake, if he hadn't Awoken already. They had immediately made preparations, gathering forces after scouts revealed that an army of monsters was amassing in the Gerudo Valley. They had managed to get the Gorons to join them, bringing several loads of the Bomb Flowers that grew on their mountain. Link had visited the Temple of Time, and had drawn the Master Sword, using what he knew of it and of the dormant spirit, Fi, that dwelt within it to keep it from locking him in the Sacred Realm for the next few years.

Ganondorf's forces had attacked the city, swarming across Hyrule Field, and they were met by the forces gathered by Link and Zelda. It was amazing how a little training from the Hero of Time (not that they knew he bore, or would bear, that title) could do towards making the usually fairly incompetent city guards into a rather formidable fighting force. Everything had seemed to be going well, until Zelda vanished in a wave of dark fire. Link had spun around, having heard her gasp, just in time to see her disappear.

Immediately, he had felt along the connection to the Triforce of Wisdom and along the mental connection he had with Zelda. She can't have gone to far...there. With a burst of green light, he called on Farore's Wind, and vanished.

He reappeared on a small hill, near the burning ruin of the Lon Lon Ranch. Malon and her father had been moved into the city, as both Link and Zelda knew that, whether she was Awake or not, Ganondorf had something of a vengeful grudge against the part-Gerudo girl, and he seemed to take great pleasure in destroying the ranch whenever he could. Now, Zelda and Ganondorf were battling atop a small hill near the burning ruin. Zelda was dancing across the ground, the Bow of Light in her hands as she fired arrow after arrow at Ganondorf. On his part, Ganondorf seemed to have picked up some new tricks. He was dashing back and forth at high speed, occasionally stopping and sending out bursts of light from his eyes which knocked arrows off course. Then Ganondorf noticed Link. With a grin, he had vanished completely, just seeming to fade into the air. Zelda fired one last arrow at where he had been, then turned to look at Link.

If Link hadn't known any better, he would have assumed that he had played the Inverted Song of Time. The next moments seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as suddenly as he vanished, Ganondorf reappeared, standing right behind Zelda. Zelda was already turning, but Ganondorf was too close, and Link let out a strangled cry as Ganondorf's sword pierced through Zelda's heart. Idly, as he raced towards the battle, Link felt the tremor from the Triforce as Zelda died, leaving this Loop.

Between steps, Link equipped the Pegasus Boots, Bunny Hood, and he pulled a Pegasus Seed from his pouch. Ganondorf had just enough time to blink before Link hit him at around a hundred miles per hour. After around ten good strikes, Ganondorf managed to call on his new powers to match Link's speed.

Which was when Link swapped the Bunny Hood for the Goron Mask and used his own variation of the Spin Dash attack that blue hedgehog had shown him.

* * *

><p>In the end, Link had emerged victorious. Now, he stood on the field, the last one standing. Some of the moblins and soldiers were probably still alive, but, at this point, Link could muster the energy to care. Slowly, he made his way back towards the city. They had won, this time, but next time they might not be so lucky. He needed to train more. He needed to get better.<p>

* * *

><p>4.3 (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>The trees looked like trees. That was Link's first thought upon Awakening.<p>

While far from profound, it had its importance. A few loops ago, the trees had, in fact, been man-hating, tree-shaped monsters intent on conquering the world. It was always good to know whether the shrubbery was plotting to eat you alive, Link mused as he reviewed his in-loop memories.

His memories told him that he was a teenager, trained as a swordsman by his father, who had raised Link in seclusion deep in the forest. His father had recently died during a fight with a giant, Moblin-like creature, and in-loop Link had decided to leave the forest to investigate the source of the trouble. Currently, he traveled a path towards Hyrule. Thanks to a traveling mask salesman, he knew it to be ruled by Princess Zelda and her consort, Vaati.

Link nearly tripped over nothing.

This loop was definitely a new variant. Glancing at the Triforce emblem on the back of his left hand, he decided to ping it for the statuses of the Power and Wisdom thirds. He frowned at the feedback. The Triforce of Wisdom lacked the usual close fit with Zelda that it usually had, as if something distorted the connection, and she showed no signs of being Awake.

In contrast, Ganondorf, while definitely Awake and in possession of the Triforce of Power, had absolutely no corruption tainting him or his shard.

Everything was downright weird. At least Link did not have to worry about Ganondorf knowing how to check if Link was Awake, probably; it was a technique Zelda had created.

As the trees became scattered enough to let full sunlight leak through the canopy, Link reached a crossroad. According to the faded lettering on the wooden signpost, Clocktown lay to the northeast, Hyrule Castle was directly east, and some place called Lonani Village could be found to the southeast.

After a moment's hesitation, Link turned his boots to the barely-trodden path to the southeast, heading for Lonani Village - and Ganondorf.

Wanting to travel faster without accidentally stealing Epona again, Link withdrew a bunny hood, a roc's cape, and a pair of pegasus boots from his subspace pocket. More and more frequent run-ins with a looping Ganondorf had encouraged him to find better ways to travel, but Link saved the options from outside Hyrule for real emergencies.

Besides, there would probably be a temple or dungeon with something useful in it along the way. He did not want to skip those.

* * *

><p>Link pushed open the doors of Lon-Lon Bar, allowing them to swing shut behind him. He casually took a seat on a padded stool at the counter. His eyes raked over the drinks lined up behind the bartender, Ingo.<p>

Ingo peered at link suspiciously. "I've never seen you around before." When Link returned his stare evenly and made no reply, the bartender reluctantly gave up and asked, "What can I get you?"

"Chateau Romani," Link replied.

Ingo started, his mustache pressed into a straight line and his eyebrows raised high. "What? That's 200 Rupees a bottle! Can a kid like you even afford it?"

Link pretended to dig through his belt purse while actually accessing his subspace pocket. He placed four purple Rupees on the bar and slid them towards Ingo. "I think I can," said Link calmly.

Ingo looked between the money and Link, even more suspicious, but swept the Rupees into the moneybox all the same before reluctantly handing over a Chateau Romani. Link uncorked it and sipped it slowly, enjoying the rich flavor. He simultaneously tamped down on his magic; with the effects of a good bottle of Chateau Romani and the amount of magic he had thanks to the loops, gulping down the milk without using any power caused strange side effects. Once, he had literally glowed and maybe accidentally started a cult.

LInk forced himself to remain relaxed as two very familiar people entered the bar and sat down a few seats from him. Both were heavily cloaked in illusion magic and likely did not realize that he could easily see through it. While he had hardly begun to work through learning how to draw upon the side effects of certain masks and items without equipping them, the Lens of Truth had served as his test case.

He drank more of his milk.

The two others ordered high-grade Lon-Lon Milk with berry liqueur added. The one in the purple cloak quaffed his drink and cursed. "I can't believe we are sitting at the same bar as the hero," the young man complained to his companion. "First I wake up as a real Hylian, and then I realize that I'm married to a Zelda who is crazier than a sack of Cuccos. All we need is to find out next is that the hero was also dropped on his head too much as a kid and is perfectly willing to skewer us instead of Her Royal Asylum Reject."

Vaati had always been a snide one, but it sounded like this loop had pushed him to his limit.

"Peace, Vaati," replied Ganondorf in a tone that implied 'shut up or else'. "Both you and I were much the same not so long ago. Were it not for the actions of that one girl present during the Hero of the Moon variant, I would have already killed you."

"You would have tried," countered Vaati, "but I would be working with the evil princess and would have killed you first. She is ridiculously overpowered."

Both drank more as Ganondorf contemplated Vaati's words. "I think you underestimate my abilities," Ganondorf concluded. "Still, a toast to Serenity for returning our minds to us."

Link almost choked on his milk. During the loop where he and Zelda had replaced Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, Usagi might have visited Link's home loop. If anything could purify an evil god's curse of hatred, she and her Silver Crystal could.

And now Vaati and Ganondorf weren't villains even though both were Awake? Link did not want to deal with this or, more specifically, them.

Said villains clinked their bottles together sardonically before finishing their drinks.

Vaati blew a strand of hair out of his face. "We need to do something about Zelda. Much as I like ruling Hyrule, she isn't worth it, and she plans on targeting you sooner or later. Let's be allies this time around?"

"Help me protect the Gerudo from the princess, and I will help you in turn," Ganondorf promised, wiping away a milk mustache. "We will gather troops, obtain power from the Great Fairies, and raze the castle to the ground, killing all who stand against us."

Vaati nodded. "Agreed, as long as you are willing to help me build a new castle afterwards. Think we can get the hero on our side? Maybe kidnap someone, threaten their life unless he helps us?" Vaati questioned approvingly. "He usually likes those farm girls, right?"

Link sighed. Yeah, they definitely were still Ganondorf and Vaati. He downed the rest of the milk, stood up, and walked over to them as the magic rushed through him. The villains flinched in surprise when he broke the illusion by using his double clawshots to latch onto them both.

"Shit, he's Awake," Vaati cursed, hand going up to cast a spell.

Link tugged on the clawshots to knock them both off-balance and disrupt their spells. "You know," said Link as he used his pocket to instantaneously switch into the outfit fairies had given him during a fused Kingdom Hearts loop, mostly black with an amazing amount of zippers and belts, "I think the three of us need to talk."

He grinned and cast a modified version of Farore's Wind. In a haze of green light, they vanished from the bar.

* * *

><p>Dropping out of the warp circle, Link and his two drag-alongs landed in the middle of an island in front of this Hyrule's water temple. He dropped them just in time to dodge a blast from each side as both Vaati and Ganondorf fired curses at him.<p>

"I really did just want to talk," Link said while equipping both an adult-sized Lokomo Sword and a Phantom Sword directly from his subspace pocket, "but I am totally fine with doing this first."

Ganondorf grimaced at the sight of the swords. After a loop where he had caught an Awake Link off-guard and poorly-armed, the hero had taken to collecting swords - with a focus on anti-evil swords - from the many variants, much to the villain's displeasure. Link even had a few Master Swords that lacked a spirit sleeping inside them.

Still, Ganondorf kept his sword raised. "I do not trust the sincerity of your words." Then, reconsidering, he said, "Or I would not, if you were not such an idiot."

Vaati stood with his arms raised, hands aglow with magic and aimed firmly at Link. "We can talk like this," he suggested.

"Or we can fight first, talk later," Link replied. "I'm sure none of us want to end up dead or sealed, so how about a friendly spar?"

The possibility of a serious fight without a bad end had its appeal. Ganondorf smiled like a shark. "How friendly?"

Somewhat surprised that Ganondorf was not against the idea, Link drew on the rules he usually used when fighting friendly loopers. "No dismemberment, death, or permanent maiming. Otherwise, anything goes."

"And both of us against you," Vaati replied without hesitation.

Link breathed slowly, in and out. That would be a challenge, but he had confidence in his abilities. "Agreed," he finally responded, and the other two attacked him even as he spoke.

* * *

><p>Sitting on a freshly-cut tree stump, Link took a long swig from a bottle of blue potion before tossing a couple of extra bottles to Ganondorf and Vaati on the log across from him. The hero pulled out a handkerchief and wiped sweat from his face as he observed the rest of the island, or what remained of it.<p>

The ground around them varied between charred black and frozen ice and was peppered with arrows. Swords of various styles and sizes were stuck in the soil, in trees, a boulder, and the monument that had been in the center of the island. Link made a mental note to retrieve them before he left.

Part of him still could not believe that he was anywhere in Vaati and Ganondorf's vicinity without them all trying to kill each other... much. He gave a short laugh. "That was surprisingly fun."

Vaati snorted. "You didn't get stabbed-"

"Yes, I did. Twice," Link pointed out. Ganondorf radiated smugness.

"-with a light arrow," Vaati finished. "Was that some sort of test?"

"It did less damage than usual, ergo you are less evil than usual," Link said with a shrug. "It was the easiest way to be sure you weren't lying."

Ganondorf thought that a lingering grudge against previous actions of himself and Vaati did more to explain some of Link's methods but felt no need to announce such aloud. "Enough chatter. Will you oppose us or assist us this loop, hero?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," Link replied with forced cheer, "Serenity really did get rid of Vaati's corruption and your curse. If that means we won't be fighting every loop, I'll deal with it. Right now, this loop's Zelda is the only threat I plan on fighting." A slight waver in his voice was the only sign of how the thought discomfited him.

Vaati's eyes widened with mild surprise. "So you won't mind us killing this Zelda and taking over Hyrule?"

Link wiggled his hand. "I don't want to kill her, but I will help you." He hesitating before adding, "Make sure that she doesn't have descendants, or else a reincarnation might remember and become an insane Zelda in a future loop. The Triforce of Wisdom allows crap like that."

Ganondorf looked poleaxed. "That explains much," was all he said.

Vaati looked up at Ganondorf, decided not to ask, and looked past Ganondorf to Link. "With you working with us, I think we can afford a direct assault of Hyrule Castle with minimal preparation." He gestured smoothly, allowing shimmering purple magic to flow between them and resolve into an illusionary model. "This is the the layout of the rooms, and the layers of protection we have to nullify..."

* * *

><p>Vaati brushed off his robes and gazed around the newly-made ruins of Hyrule Castle, then downed the last half of a bottle of Chateau Romani. Strutting to one of the few pieces of architecture still standing, he dropped the empty bottle and kicked the cracked and battered column to the ground. "Now that was a good time," he said airily, unconsciously cuddling a salvaged magical staff that had served him very well in the final battle as he popped a new celebratory bottle.<p>

Ignoring the drunken Vaati, Ganondorf folded his arms as he pondered the dusty remains that marked all that was left of the monster into which Zelda had transformed. In any other loop he had experienced, that would have been himself. The twist in the situation made him feel strangely uncomfortable, even if the result had been favorable overall.

Link, carefully not looking in the same direction as Ganondorf, held this loop's Master Sword under a beam of the light. Instincts born of past loops screamed at him to stick it in Ganondorf and Vaati before they showed their true evil, but Link forced the feeling down. Taking a vacation after looting the rest of the temples present in this loop sounded better and better the more he thought about it.

His gaze twitched towards Vaati. Covertly checking in on the formerly-evil overlords occasionally would be a good idea. Interventions might be required.

Link hoped this loop would end up as a funny story to tell Zelda the next time he saw her. Embarrassing pictures would help. He slid out his deluxe picto box and aimed the lens at the intoxicated sorcerer.

* * *

><p>4.4 (KrisOverStreet)<p>

* * *

><p>It was a bar. All three of them were Awake, adult and recovering from a Loop they wanted very badly to forget. The fact that two of them hated the third with a passion, and the third hated them back with a passion that had only recently been reduced from demonic to merely mortal, was washed away by a tide of alcohol.<p>

The tankards had begun to overshadow the table by the time Link asked the question. "So, Ganon... did you ever... y'know... win?"

Ganondorf set his tankard down. "Of course I did," he rumbled. "Dozens of times. In all the different incarnations. I have killed you..." He released the mug to count on his fingers for a few seconds before finishing, "in one hundred and seventeen distinct and unique ways. If you'd held still while I raised the anvil, it would have been a hundred and eighteen."

The thought sobered both Link and Zelda (currently in her Sheik guise-it caused less annoyance in dive bars, she'd found) enough to chug their drinks and wave to the bar-wench for fresh ones. Still, a thought so horrible is like an aching tooth; you just can't help prodding it. "So you actually achieved your fondest wish?" Link asked. "Absolute, supreme power?"

"Well..." Ganon took a healthy drink of his own mug and considered the point. "Technically Demise's curse wanted the destruction of the world. I suppose every premature Loop ending counts for that. But absolute supreme power? I wished for that once. Precisely. Once." Now it was Ganondorf's turn to drain his mug.

After the wench brought fresh mugs and a barrel to cart off the empties, Ganondorf elaborated. "This was a very early Loop for me- my third or fourth time through the setting I was born in, where you lived in the forest with those tree spirits. I played you like a puppet from beginning to end. I knew exactly what choices you would make and when. I was two steps ahead of you every step of the way, and then- when everything was in place- I took the Master Sword from you, locked the both of you in a dungeon for my later entertainment, and took the Triforce from the Temple of Time.

"And I made my wish."

With that Ganondorf raised his fresh tankard and drained it at a single draw. A drunk at the next table over cheered, but a single glare from Ganondorf silenced him.

"What happened then?" Link asked.

"The Loop crashed," Ganondorf said. "And I Awoke in a new place... in a technological era. I was a teenage student in a high school, and my best friend was the president of this club-"

"We don't talk about Eiken," Link said quickly.

"All of them were Gerudo," Ganondorf continued. "My sisters. My MOTHER was the club sponsor. There was even this young student with-"

"We do NOT talk about Eiken!" Link said more firmly.

"They were all around me with... those... things... I couldn't stand it... so horrible..."

"You should try HAVING those things once," Zelda snarled over her mask.

Ganondorf's eyes widened. First he stared at Zelda, obviously altering her slim physique with his eyes. Then he looked down at his own chest for a moment. With a full-body shudder he grabbed both the other Loopers' tankards, drained one, and then the other, slamming them down so hard on the table that one of them cracked.

"Since then," he gasped, "I have learned to be more circumspect about what I wish for."

* * *

><p>4.5 (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf Awoke and stared at the single most impossible thing he'd ever encountered.<p>

His son.

Even discounting the fact that loopers couldn't have children when Awake, the idea of a Gerudo male siring a son due to the 'one male every hundred years' curse was ludicrous. Even if his Loop memories told him that he'd cut a deal with a previous Zelda to be put to sleep for decades so there would be the chance he could sire a son and break the Gerudo curse (since in this variant, it could apparently be broken if a Gerudo male sired another Gerudo male), the sheer odds against that happening were still astronomical given the size of the Gerudo tribe (especially in this variant) and the number of women who were pregnant at any given time.

But there he was.

His son.

Link.

Ganondorf felt a migraine coming on.

* * *

><p>4.6 (KrisOverStreet)<p>

* * *

><p>The mighty gun and its tracks lay in ruins around the rim of the Sacred Grounds. The turf of the pit buckled and rippled with scars of torn turf and fallen rocks. Small fires smouldered here and there in the ivy that climbed the stone cliffs.<p>

And in the center of it all, a demon lay dying.

"You have not won, Hylia," the demon gasped. "So long as the Triforce survives, so shall I. So long as you are reincarnated, I shall return to torment you. If you share the mortals' fate, then you shall share the mortal's curse."

The demon turned to Link and said, "And you also I curse, boy." And then the demon turned to the third figure, the tall, muscular redhead who still held the hammer he'd been using to keep his ingenious device in the battle as long as possible. "And you... you also I curse. You and your descendants shall never now happiness, never know peace, never know anything except the greed for wealth and power."

The last of the demon's power struck out at the three... and bounced off an invisible wall three times.

"Already have done," Groosendorf rumbled, bringing the hammer down on what was left of the demon's head before it could dissolve.

Afterwards, moments before the Loop reset, he added, "That felt so VERY good."

* * *

><p>4.7 - (Dalxein)<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello everyone... My name is Ganon."<p>

"Hello, Ganon"

"But I prefer Ganondorf. It's a lot more regal and I prefer that version of myself."

From the back, a couple villains mumbled, "Hello, Ganondorf."

"And... I'm not a very nice person."

"Aww, that's okay." Chrysalis said, patting him on the shoulder. "Most of us here aren't very nice... except her." She nodded over towards Derpy Hooves, who really had no reason to be there, but she wasn't going to question it. "What matters is learning to not be mean. Nice is for ponies."

"Pon...eys."

"Yes, dearie." She turned to the Unawake Sombra. "How is your speech therapy coming?"

"Sombra... re-learning pro-por sentence structures now." the dark unicorn managed.

"Good to hear. A millennium without anyone to talk to- awful, just awful. We're all glad to hear you're making progress, aren't we everyone?"

"Good work, Sombra."

* * *

><p>4.8 (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf smiled. He had felt it soon after he had Awakened; something was different about the Triforce of Courage. Someone else had replaced Link in this Loop.<p>

And a truly gracious host should always provide for their guests.

So he had pulled out all the stops. Conquering Hyrule, crushing the populace, spreading darkness across the lands, the works.

Sadly, Zelda wasn't Awake. He was sure she would have appreciated the show.

Playing the final notes on his pipe organ, Ganondorf rose, turning to meet the Looper who had replaced Link.

There was a small moment of terror when he saw that the arrival had pink hair, but he was able to mask that with an evil grin as he realized that, fortunately, it wasn't that Sakura girl.

This girl was shorter, had straight hair with spiky ends, and had a very jaded look about her.

He was about to start his grand speech, when the girl raised a hand to interrupt him.

"Look, I know you're probably all ready for a fight and everything, but I had a really rough time in my last Loop and I was hoping to get some rest." said the girl. "So, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The easy way is, I poke you with this sword a couple of times, you give a dramatic speech of defeat, we all go home happy. The hard way? You don't want the hard way."

Ganondorf smirked. "And here I am, going to all this trouble to make this interesting for you. I'd feel rather... disappointed if we didn't make a real show of this."

"Yeah? And I wanted a pony. Hmm, there was that ranch on the way here, I'll have to check it out..." mused the girl, apparently drifting off.

"I'm afraid I have to insist. And I have to admit, you've piqued my curiosity."

"Fine, hard way it is. Don't say I didn't warn you." The girl shifted her attention to a point behind Ganondorf... then turned around, sheathing her sword. "Bobobo? Sic 'em."

Ganondorf turned and stared in surprise, as a tall muscular man, wearing sunglasses and a blue shirt, and wielding a large blonde afro, emerged from a small savings and loans where his pipe organ used to be, arguing with a spiky orange ball about how to invest his stock of vintage gummy worms.

He was totally unprepared for the Old Ladies Bingo Night to the side of his head.

Things just went downhill from there.

* * *

><p>It took quite a few loops for Ganondorf to mentally recover.<p>

It took considerably longer for him to... convince Link and Zelda to give up the pictures they took of him in his impromptu drag queen phase.

* * *

><p>4.1) As the saying goes, you need a few rotten eggs to make an omelet. Wait...<p>

4.2) Zelda gets her Aerith Moment.

4.3) The curse is broken! Now, the real fun begins.

4.4) Eiken: A fate you wouldn't wish even on your own worst enemy. Because then, they steal your drink to drown the memories.

4.5) Their family tree is full of knots by this point.

4.6) Hammers: They're not just for violent, teenage girls anymore.

4.7) I am bad, and that's good. There is no-one I'd rather beat than Link.

4.8) It would appear surrealism can substitute for the Master Sword in a pinch.


	5. Chapter 5

**LEGEND OF ZELDA LOOPS: LET THE FUN BEGIN!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda, or many of the ideas in this fic. This fic is for fun, not profit.

* * *

><p>5.1 - (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda pouted as her little sister Malon laughed her butt off.<p>

"This really isn't that funny, you know," Zelda Harkinian Antes Lon-Lon de Hyrule groused at the younger princess.

"Yes it is!" Malon Daphnes Tetra Lon-Lon de Hyrule squealed in reply.

"When I said I wanted to be a princess, this wasn't what I meant," the older sister glared.

"I know!" the younger sister giggled maniacally. "But when I forged official ties with your family, I had no way of being certain that this Loop would take that one as its history and merge our families. I certainly didn't think you'd end up being the older sister!"

"Yeah, yeah," Zelda muttered. "Laugh it up 'squirt'."

Malon just kept grinning like a maniac, until she suddenly gasped. "OHMYGOSH!"

"What?!" Zelda whipped around, trying to see what had gotten her little sister this Loop so worked up.

"I'm not the heir this time!" Malon's eyes were wide and bright. "Do you know what this means?!"

"Uh, no...?" Zelda hedged.

"I might not have to be the princess next Loop!" Malon exulted.

Zelda blinked.

"Maybe I can marry a farmer, and if the next Loop takes this one as its history, I can be the farm girl for once!" Malon turned her excitement towards her sister this Loop. "Ooo, I can'twait to see the look on Link's face when he sees that!"

"What do you actually know about farming? Or ranching for that matter?" Zelda asked curiously.

"Absolutely nothing!" Malon chirped. "How about you teach me?"

Zelda looked at the little sister who currently had the name that should be hers and should have had the name she herself currently held. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

><p>5.2<p>

* * *

><p>Zant floated above the platform as Link panted below him. This Loop had been particularly draining, as in this variant, the "god" empowering Zant was apparently Majora, though luckily, no moon had been called down to crush the world. Ganondorf had been imprisoned in the Twilight Realm, but he had broken free and now Link, Ganondorf, and Midna (who wasn't Awake), were all facing down Zant.<p>

Zant laughed as the Mask on his face continued to distort, long tendrils of shadow sliding out of his body. "Ha, yes, feel my hatred. Feel the despair of those banished from the light of the world. Ha haha hahahahahaHahAhaHAHAHAHA!"

Link tensed, reaching into his subspace pocket. The Fierce Deity Mask wasn't his favorite mask to wear. It was too easy for him to go into a bezerker rage, but, as he was facing the Mask, it would probably work properly. However, before he could pull out the mask, Ganondorf stepped forward.

"You want to feel hatred! Then feel mine, the Sealed Hatred of the Lord of Demons!" Dark flames burst around his body, and he raced forward, vaulting up a fallen block of stone, and shot into the air. The dark indigo flames spread around him, extending outward into the shape of a giant boar. With a thunderous roar, the burning boar slammed into the tendrils that surrounded Zant, ripping them apart as it drove into the insane King of Shadows.

* * *

><p>As Midna stepped back through the portal to the Twilight Realm, the Mirror shattering behind her, Link glanced at Ganondorf out of the corner of his eye. The form he had taken in battle felt familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen or heard of it before. Ganondorf caught Link's gaze and smirked, before he turned and vanished in a wave of dark fire.<p>

* * *

><p>5.3 - (TricornKing)<p>

* * *

><p>"The name of the game," said Glados as the players took their seats, "is Texas Hold 'Em."<p>

As each player took a look at the cards they were dealt, Wreck-It Ralph turned to his left. "So Ganondorf, how have things been man?"

Ganondorf added $800 to the pot for his check. "I've been doing rather well, Ralph. The loops have been especially crazy lately, but what else is new?" There was a general murmur of agreement from the other players.

"Don't I know it," added Bowser as he folded his hand. "Did you know, last loop I was in was a crossover with that My Little Pony universe? I'd replaced one of their regular villains, some unicorn named King Sombra, and was trying to reclaim some sort of Crystal Empire."

"Doesn't sound so bad," said King Dedede as he raised by about $1000. While Ralph folded, Ganondorf matched Dedede's raise. Glados then dealt the flop, a King of Spades, a Joker of Hearts and a Ten of Diamonds.

"Yeah, but I was some kind of giant pony-dragon-turtle-kirin-thing," said Bowser as Ganondorf bet $800. "Couldn't even really breath fire, though I had some nifty shadow powers with a nice fear-based area of effect aura." The white's of Bowser's eyes suddenly turned green as a purple haze began flowing from them, while the lights in The Inventory began to dim as shadows seemed to try and shallow every light source available.

Feeling a curt tapping at his shoulder from Winslow, one of the patrons, Bowser sheepishly reigned it back in. "Looking forward to seeing how Mario will react to that.," Bowser added. "He won't be seeing that coming at least."

Dedede had matched Ganondorf's raise, and Glados had dealt the turn, a Queen of Spades. Ganondorf tapped his fingers for a check. Dedede, rubbing his hands together with glee, pushed his $10,000 pile forward, saying, "Well boys, I'm going all in."

Barely raising an eyebrow, Ganondorf simply pushed half of his pile in as well. The two kings then revealed their hole cards, Dedede having a King of Diamonds and a Queen of Hearts. Ganondorf, meanwhile, had an Ace of Spades and an Ace of Diamonds.

The assembled players winced at the sight. Dedede slumped back in his seat, saying, "Alright already, just get it over with." Glados then dealt the river, which turned out to be a Ten of Hearts.

"King Dedede has...Two Pair," said Glados, " while our Gerudo friend has...A Straight. Ganondorf wins the hand."

"A pleasure doing business with you," said Ganondorf as he reached out and pulled the pot of chips to himself.

"King Dedede has been eliminated from the tournament," said Glados as she lowered herself from the ceiling. "Don't be sad. It's only money. Your money. $20,000 of it. Right down the train."

"Ah, stick it where the sun don't shine," said Dedede as he hopped off the table.

* * *

><p>5.4 - (KrisOverStreet)<p>

* * *

><p>"I don't think you understand," Ganondorf said calmly. "I am not a magical clown sent here to sing and dance for your amusement. I am the reincarnation of a primal force of hatred and destruction... well, I used to be, anyway," he finished lamely, recalling a certain pigtailed princess.<p>

"I think you used to be one of those here, too," the boy replied. "Then you got stuck in an oil lamp and buried in a cave of wonders for ten thousand years."

"And that's supposed to make me less violent?"

"It worked for the guy you're replacing."

Ganondorf shook his head in disgust. "Very well. Since I can't seem to break this geas... yet... I'll obey your commands, Aladdin." The Gerudo-turned-genie folded his arms solemnly and added, "But I absolutely refuse to participate in any musical numbers!"

Aladdin shrugged and said, "No promises..."

* * *

><p>5.5 - (farsan &amp; Gulping)<p>

* * *

><p>"I swear by Naryu that if I have to suffer through another Cuckoocalypse, I will somehow find a way to get a Cuckoo in the Royal Bloodline and make you two Rue the day!"<p>

* * *

><p>"Why is a chicken analogue on the list of Contraband Material?"<p>

An audible creaking noise was heard as Epona and Skuld slowly turned their heads to Glare at the questioner with a combined intensity of .834 Fluttershys.

The senior admin pushed a button, displaying the Devastator Fleets of Cucco Queen Zelda undocking from the orbital shipyards over a scorched and ruined Hyrule, ready to embark on their mission to make the galaxy submit to the Abominable Angel's iron-taloned rule.

"Oh."

* * *

><p>5.6 - (OracleMask)<p>

* * *

><p>" - so he says, 'this sword is so sharp you can trim a statue's hair with it', and I told him that sounds great, but I won't believe him until I get a chance to test it."<p>

Sitting around a corner table in Eden Hall, several heads nodded. The speaker, a black haired lad who looked a little too young to be in a bar in the first place, waved his arms around as he told his story.

"Ne, Kirito, surprised he didn't get pissed off for not believing him," a white haired boy with red facial tattoos pointed out.

"No, this is the best part - he handed the sword over and turned into a statue so I could test it! I was so surprised I didn't think to cut off his head until after I gave him the new look," Kirito explained.

The other three burst out laughing. It was a struggle to keep their voices down - anyone who got too loud in Eden Hall was removed from the bar by the surprisingly multi-talented bartender who ran it - but they managed it. None of them wanted to be kicked out of their favorite bar.

"Weird loop," the lone girl at the table said, "So what has everyone else been doing? You have been keeping up the scythe training, right Haseo?"

She gave the white-haired boy a suspicious glare. He glared right back.

"Idiot Maka, what else would I be doing?" Haseo retorted, "Aside from collecting swords for Link's stupid bet -"

"You only think it was a stupid bet because you lost," Link replied cheerfully, "What did you say again? 'No way in hell can anybody keep totally silent for a hundred loops!' You were tempting fate and you know it."

"You're both stupid," Maka muttered.

* * *

><p>5.7 - (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda Awoke sleeping. It happened to her at times. She'd Awaken in a Loop while her incarnation for that Loop was still asleep. It was actually something of a boon in her opinion and gave her time to reflect on things.<p>

Things like her last Loop. It hadn't been the first time that she'd spearheaded a cultural revolution in Hyrule by embracing the traditions of one of their neighbors. Heck, it wasn't the first time that she'd chosen the Gerudo to do it with. She rather liked how the traditional desert outfit looked on her, and generally so did Link. Plus the 'scandalousness' of it tended to send her advisers into fits which was always entertaining.

No, the interesting thing was that she'd finally managed to figure out the formula of politics that allowed for the possibility of a marriage between one of her hypothetical sons and a daughter of the Gerudo tribe without forcing the throne of Hyrule to automatically pay homage to the Gerudo king when he was born.

There was an interesting trait of her home Loop that actions in one Loop could randomly become the history of a later Loop. Zelda was fascinated by this and one of the hobbies she'd taken to was making changes that would cause great alterations to a future Loop if they became such a history, and then watching what happened as a result.

One of her longest projects involved arranging to become a Gerudo. Sure, she'd looped in as a Gerudo before. Heck, she'd once been part of a forgotten illegitimate branch of the royal family by way of a Gerudo lover and wound up Ganondorf's mother (and hadn't that been a strange Loop). But she'd yet to be both Gerudo and legitimate princess of Hyrule at the same time. She was determined to pull it off one of these Loops, if only to see the look on Link's face.

Opening her eyes, she got out her bed, one standard for Hylian royalty, and made her way to the vanity as she began examining her Loop memories. Only to be stopped by the sight in the mirror.

Flame red hair. Amber eyes. Desert tan skin. On top of Hylian ears and a face very much typical for her.

'That was fast,' was all she could think.

Oh, and she was young enough that she could look forward to yet another exciting bout of puberty.

Examining her Loop memories closely, she quickly determined that her last Loop was indeed the history for this one. A son of hers (that she hadn't conceived in the last Loop due to the restrictions on loopers having children) had indeed been wed to a Gerudo woman. They'd had a gerudo daughter who was named Zelda as royal tradition mandated. She had married a Hylian nobleman and had...

Oh. Oh, my.

The sound of her door opening caused her to turn her head to see who was entering, and froze. It was her father for this Loop. Her Gerudo father.

His Royal Highness King Ganondorf Harkinian Daphnes Nohansen de Hyrule.

Who was clearly Awake.

"I have no idea what's going on 'daughter', but I have the strangest feeling you're responsible."

* * *

><p>5.8 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke in a bed.<p>

Immediately he noticed that something seemed a bit off.

He scanned his Loop memories. Nothing seemed out of place; it was another Loop where he started in Kokiri Forest.

Link was still lying in bed, trying to pinpoint what was wrong, when Navi flew in.

"Link! The Great Deku Tree wants to see... you... Link? Where are you?"

Link opened his mouth to reply.

"Woof."

Ah. So that's the reason.

* * *

><p>Inside the Great Deku Tree, Link took a moment to gather his thoughts, while desperately fighting the urge to scratch himself.<p>

Apparently the Link of this timeline was a wolf.

A wolf puppy, at the moment.

At least he still had his hat.

He had already verified that it apparently wasn't a curse this time, and despite his Looper knowledge, he seemed to not have any technique or spell to change himself back to normal.

It had taken him a while to convince Navi that yes, he was Link. Mido had tried to block him again, but retrieving a shield and the Kokiri sword, plus a bit of leg chewing, had convinced him to let Link pass.

He stood back up, and stretched. This would be an interesting challenge.

If only he didn't have this urge to sniff or lick... things.

* * *

><p>Bleh, thought Link. Gohma tastes nasty.<p>

* * *

><p>Link sat, tongue lolling, silently laughing to himself, as the unawake Zelda tried to hold back her squeeing, and failed miserably.<p>

Apparently puppies were enough to break her serious-Princess facade. Who knew?

He was very glad he had somehow managed to teach Navi to use a digital camera he had in his subspace pocket. Awake Zelda was going to like this.

* * *

><p>He was right, this HAD been a challenging Loop so far.<p>

Being a puppy did get him places, but it only got him so far. Darunia had been nigh impossible to get to, since Saria hadn't given Link her Ocarina.

He ended up having to outright steal the Sapphire, since Princess Ruto wasn't about to propose to a wolf.

As Link raced back to Hyrule Castle, an idea came to him. He grinned, and ran faster.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf growled in anger as he pulled his horse to a stop. The Princess brat and her babysitter had gotten away from him.<p>

No matter, he thought. Sooner or later, they'll turn up. And then I'll-

His thought was interrupted, as pain shot up his leg.

Looking down, roaring with anger, he saw a young wolf latched onto his shin, biting down HARD.

The damn thing was extremely persistent, hanging on despite Ganondorf's increasingly desperate attempts to shake it off.

Finally shaking it off, he readied a ball of dark magic, ready to tear the wolf apart...

...only to find it was quicker than he thought, and had disappeared.

And then it bit his other leg.

* * *

><p>Link watched from a safe vantage point as Ganondorf ranted and raged around Hyrule field.<p>

This was priceless.

Navi was still recording, barely able to hold onto the camera in her laughter.

This was going to be fun to show the Awake Ganondorf later.

* * *

><p>In the Temple, Link stared at the Ocarina of Time between his paws.<p>

Wait. How am I going to use this?

* * *

><p>Link was getting nervous. He had gone through several Loops stuck as a wolf now, and now he was in a Fused Loop with that one wolf, Amaterasu, if he recalled the name correctly.<p>

And the looks she kept giving him were starting to get disturbing.

* * *

><p>Epona stared at the screen.<p>

"This marker... So that's why he kept getting stuck as a wolf. Ammy? Have you been messing with my console? Are you trying to set up your analogue with Link?"

But Amaterasu had already fled the office.

* * *

><p>5.9 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Demise stood in his self-created realm, waiting for the human who had caught his attention.<p>

It's almost a pity, he mused, that it's only a mere human.

Sure, the boy had taken down Ghirahim, who had seem oddly subdued when Demise recalled him. But against the full might of the Demon King, not even the gods could stand.

And then he would return to his task of taking apart the land of the so-called gods and claiming their precious Trifo-

Demise's thought was interrupted as he noticed something beneath his feet.

Two long bars of metal stretched into the horizon, with an odd pattern of triangles between them.

He hadn't created these. And what was that noise coming up behind-

CHOO CHOO

It hit him.

* * *

><p>Link was having a hard time breathing from laughter as he went to retrieve the Master Sword from where it was fastened on the front of the Spirit Train.<p>

Somehow managing to carry the Spirit Train with him after that one Loop? A lot of training to increase his subspace pocket, and a lot of searching through Fused Loops for some shrinking technology or magic.

Bamboozling the gods into redefining the normally annoying "Spirit Trials"? A lot of fast talking, and several promised favors that were probably going to bite him in the rear later.

The look on Demise's face right before the charged up Spirit Train hit him?

Priceless.

Link hoped that this Loop would form the history of the next few home Loops. Demise had ended up dying before he could leave his curse this time around. A few vacation Loops sounded nice.

* * *

><p>5.10 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared at the mask in his hands.<p>

It had seemed to be a fairly standard Majora Loop up until this point. All the masks had been the same, save for a few cosmetic differences, such as the blue Postman's hat.

But when he had traded away his last mask and walked to the Majora's Mask wearing kid, the Fierce Deity's mask that the kid gave him had been... quite different.

He stared at the mask in his hands, and a smile slowly started to spread across his face.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf spun around as something crashed through the windows of his tower.<p>

How had that hero bypassed his barrier?

His mind came to a halt as he processed the sight before him.

It was very large.

And very green.

The only sign that it was the Hero was the tunic bottom and tights that barely stretched over its legs, and the small green hat precariously balanced on its head.

Green eyes locked onto his, and a truly terrifying grin appeared on the monster's face.

'_Din, Nayru, Farore, I don't suppose we can set aside our differences?_', Ganondorf prayed fervently.

"LINK."

"SMASH."

* * *

><p>5.1) - Gives a new meaning to "walk a mile in my shoes".<p>

5.2) - It may only have one tail, but it has two massive tusks! (A nod to the Chakra Fox used by Naruto.)

5.3) - Read them and weep. Right now. Why are you not weeping yet? Have you forgotten how?

5.4) - "Prince Ali, Something something he, is Aladdin, blah blah."

5.5) - The Forces of the Iron Talon were led by their greatest infiltrator, Chicken Boo!

5.6) - The Swordsman Club - The Size of Your Sword Doesn't Matter, Only How Well You Stick It In The Other Guy.

5.7) - "How dare you speak to your mother that way?" "You're my daughter for this Loop." "Oh yeah, I forgot."

5.8) - Epona has a bone to pick with Ammy.

5.9) - Demise of Demise, by the Train Link Trained to Carry

5.10) - Puny Curse of Hatred


	6. Chapter 6

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: ENTER THE IMPA!**

Disclaimer: I do not own these Loops, nor do I own the characters in them. These characters are their own people and they deserve rights! Rights for the Characters! Rah! Rah! Rah!

(Seriously though, I don't own this, don't make money on it, so just enjoy.)

* * *

><p>6.1 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>"You serve Hyrule!" shouted the prince angrily at the white-haired Sheikah standing between his pet magician and the teenaged Princess Zelda. "Supporting her will lead to its fall!"<p>

Impa did not remove her eyes from the magician and held her enchanted daggers in a guard position. She had already rendered the Great Hall's guard detail thoroughly unconscious with the use of a specific pressure point. The prince had neither the magic nor martial ability to be a threat, and he was on the magician's far side besides. "No, Highness," Impa rebuked her former charge, "your lust for the Triforce is already well on its way to doing so."

Part of her wondered yet again if she should have removed the prince from her worries before the legendary upheaval began, but no, Impa refused to be that much of a monster.

The normal timeline's history had not spoken of any Impa being involved. Impa reasoned that if that fact had changed, perhaps the prince would be different as well. Her gamble had failed.

Compounding the problem, the magician had enough power and skill to truly be an issue. He could have been an incarnation of Vaati or of Ganon; his robes concealed his appearance too well for Impa to be sure. At least he showed no signs of being Awake.

The prince sneered at Impa. With a grand gesture, he pronounced, "You are a shortsighted fool! Magician, get rid of-"

"One moment, please," Zelda suddenly interrupted. She raised a hand as if she were in a schoolroom. "I've got… Excuse me, I must converse with my nursemaid regarding our current course of action. It would be best for all of us if we resolved this peacefully."

The prince, the magician, and Impa all turned to stare at Zelda. "You have finally come to your senses, sister?" the prince asked finally, disbelief warring with hope.

"I feel as though I have freshly Awaken," Zelda replied honestly with a hard stare at Impa.

The prince crossed his arms. "Fine, you may have five minutes to talk if Impa disarms herself."

Zelda sent Impa a look that brooked no argument. Impa might have argued with an Unawake Zelda, but serving any incarnation of Zelda was Impa's eternal duty. Impa dropped her enchanted daggers from her hands, then unloaded another pair from the sheaths on her back, throwing knives from the inside of her vest, poisoned needles from her pockets and belt pouches, and a hunting knife from her right boot.

It was far from her full supply of weapons, not that anyone else would know.

Both the prince and the magician stared at the pile of weaponry with some alarm. With a somewhat shakier voice, the prince declared, "If either of you attempt to escape, the magician will kill Impa immediately."

"Understood," Zelda replied before taking hold of Impa's arm and dragging Impa's head down to her height. In a hissed whisper, she demanded to know, "Impa, are you a looper?"

Unfortunately, Impa could see no way to deny it. "I am," she reluctantly admitted, "and I have been for some time."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me! Has it only been my loops, or-?"

"No, I have seen those of Link and of Ganon as well, along with what I believe is called a Star Trek loop. A Mr. Spock gave me 'the talk'."

"And you decided to handle loops like a Trekker," Zelda said with sudden understanding. Most Star Trek loopers held to a looping version of the Prime Directive, changing the course of local events as little as possible. "Well, except for this time, if my loop memories are accurate."

"To some extent," Impa allowed. "Usually, I confine myself to subtlety and subterfuge."

Zelda sent Impa a look of amused disbelief. "Really." She gestured at their surroundings.

The castle's largest room had suffered significant structural damage. The fallen guards littered the floor, and the area between Zelda and the prince had largely been reduced to rubble.

Impa grimaced. "My methodology this loop lacked my normal finesse. Some of my baseline abilities have become unexpectedly rusty."

"And if you used your other abilities, the current situation is not a problem?" Zelda asked pointedly.

"As you wish," Impa conceded.

Without turning around, she withdrew two phasers from her subspace pocket and shot behind her. She did not need to look to know that she had killed the magician and knocked out the prince, though she checked to be sure. It was only prudent.

Zelda craned her head around Impa. Contemplatively, the princess noted, "I would have thought that magical shields defended against energy weapons."

Impa unbent her body and relaxed into parade rest after re-pocketing her phasers. "Mine are blessed."

"Ah. Makes sense." Zelda nodded wisely. "So. Will you stop Trekking around Link and myself when we are awake?"

Impa reluctantly agreed. "I will, at least, let you know when I am awake," she promised.

Zelda nodded. "Good." She grinned impishly. "Then, to make up for previous loops, let's see what we can do with this one. I do so rarely Awaken before being placed into the enchanted sleep."

Impa placed one hand on her hip and tilted her head. She said nothing, but the smirk on Zelda's face was far from reassuring.

* * *

><p>6.2<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf stood in the top of his tower, watching as once again, the Helmaroc King carried in the younger sister of Link. He toyed with the idea of killing her before the Hero got here to torment him, but ultimately discarded it. If this version of Link was awake, it would likely just send him into a berserk fury that would end with pieces of the Forsaken Fortress raining down all across the Great Sea. Ganondorf shuddered. Link's subspace pocket was full of bombs. So many bombs.<p>

The door behind him creaked, and he turned, to see a moblin wander into the room. It rambled over, a scroll clutched in its hands. Ganondorf rolled his eyes. They had likely shot down one of the postmen again and found out that the letter wasn't edible. He grabbed the letter from the stupidly staring Moblin and was somewhat surprised to see his name written on the outside. Slowly, he unrolled the scroll. On it was written a single word.

*Doink*

Ganondorf barely had time to curse before he dropped to the floor, slowly turning to stone. Link grinned as he removed the Moblin Ring from his finger, then pulled off the Stone Mask. He had tested this combo with Zelda, and even when she was actively trying to contact him through the Triforce, she couldn't distinguish him from a normal Moblin. He then stored away his Master Kitchen Knife. The hardest part of setting this up had been getting a Kitchen Knife away from a Tonberry, but the repeated deaths had been worth it for seeing Ganondorf's face. If he spent the next few Loops killing Ganondorf while a Moblin, he could probably get Ganondorf to kill Moblins on sight.

* * *

><p>6.3 - (OracleMask)<p>

* * *

><p>"You foolish wizard!"<p>

Saruman nearly jumped out of his many-colored robes as the dark-skinned and red-haired form of Sauron Dragmire, Dark Lord of Mordor, materialized inches away from him inside Orthanc. While he somehow managed to keep outwardly composed, inside the Istari was swearing up a storm. All his plans for Middle-Earth, for Mordor and the Ring...ruined! But he would make Sauron pay dearly in the battle, and who in Middle-Earth was to say that Saruman had not sacrificed himself nobly for the good of all? Gandalf's words would be taken as slander, and Saruman's reputation would be inviolate. An excellent way to end things.

"You think you are worthy to usurp my power and overthrow me when you have an army as pitiful as this? Well, we will soon fix that."

...Instead of attacking, Saruman blinked as Sauron magically summoned up diagrams, charts, and a scale model of Orthanc.

"First, the matter of your base of operations! I see you have constructed tunnels under your tower, but they are far too small! What you must do is -"

* * *

><p>" - and while the creation of Uruk-Hai is truly clever, you have crippled their fighting prowess with shoddy weapons and armor! You must use better quality steel from now on. I will loan you a blacksmith from Harad, and you will have two days to learn the proper techniques from him."<p>

Saruman tried not to show his confusion and excitement he frantically took notes.

"Next, consider your air support. If you truly wish to take Mordor, you will need to account for the fell beasts that guard my skies!"

Ganondorf, meanwhile, was hiding a wicked smile. Teaching these so-called villains how to conquer and rule was very entertaining. And in this case, not only did it save him from having to deal with yet another victorious hero emerging from the wilderness with a blessed blade, but if Saruman actually managed to succeed in his plans for the Free Peoples...Ganondorf might even get a decent fight out of him later.

* * *

><p>6.4 - (Indalecio)<p>

* * *

><p>It was night, and a shadowy figure walked away from the head office of Cyberdyne Systems. When it was far enough away, it removed what looked like a mask, revealing a, young blonde man in jeans and a green hoodie.<p>

Link sighed. Using the Glados mask as a way to deal with Skynet hadn't gone as planned.

Oh well. Maybe he'd try something different if he ever got the chance.

* * *

><p>John Connor woke from what seemed to be a very long sleep. He was in glass and plastic pod. Cheesy elevator music played from somewhere near him. Pushing open the pod, he got up and saw he was in a small room with see-through walls and a door. Beside him, he could see the music was coming from a small radio.<p>

As he pondered how he got to be there, a voice echoed inside the chamber.

"Hello and welcome again to the Cyberdyne Systems Enrichment Center. We hope your stay in the Relaxation chamber has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed and we're now ready to begin the test proper."

Throughout the rest of his life, John kept wondering what set of circumstances had led up to this.

* * *

><p>6.5 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Today's Chore - Dungeon Upkeep<p>

* * *

><p>Clad in fire-proof red clothes, Link aimed with his hookshot at a suitable target above. Zelda, also in red, clung with her arms around his neck as he pulled them up to a higher ledge.<p>

A magma-veined giant centipede awaited them. Zelda released her grip before Link. Lightly dropping to the ground, she equipped a bow. A bomb arrow shot down the monster's maw. The bow disappeared as Zelda turned away and pulled her shawl over her mouth.

The centipede shuddered, turned to stone, and then exploded. Ash liberally coated Zelda's dress and blonde hair, turning both a dusty gray.

Link, releasing the hookshot, landed as lightly as Zelda had. He stepped over the rocky remnants of the centipede and peered over the opposite side of the ledge. "Yeah, this is the Fire Temple entrance all right," he said dryly.

Outside, it had looked like a normal mountain. Inside, it proved to be an active volcano. Platforms and unstable bridges crisscrossed the interior, underneath which a pool of lava glowed.

Link's experienced eyes tracked the routes. "The standard jump boosting item should be in there," he said, pointing to a doorway at the end of one bridge. The ledge it was next to another ledge just a little too far to reach with a normal jump.

Jabbing his finger at a entryway near the top of the chamber, he continued, "And that's where the temple guardian will be." He shook his head. "You know, until we had fused loops, I thought finding dungeons in volcanos was normal."

"Just like depending on ten-year-olds to save the world, correct?" Zelda responded with a grin as she brushed the dust off of herself. "Even better, this one is obviously designed for two people." Several of the doors had bars on them and a switch on each side.

Link laughed. "You were expected, 'sis'," he joked.

Loop memories had them growing up together as brother and sister. Clues they had uncovered so far said otherwise. The loop appeared to follow the 'hidden heir' archetype: Ganondorf had taken over Hyrule and disposed of the entire royal family nine years ago, but rumor said that the young princess had survived.

Zelda chuckled. "Does that mean I finally get loot this time?" she snarked. "Well, let's get on with calming the mountain and rescuing the ranch. Too bad we can't launch off some spells and be done with it, but…"

"...Not a good idea to make an avatar of Din angry around anything hot," Link agreed. He clambered over the side of the ledge and down the convenient handholds carved down the mountain's interior. "We need to get back that ring."

His voice rose in volume as he descended. "Honestly, Malon's mother scares me. She might only be half-Gerudo, but she has their temper! If she's normally like this, I'm glad it's the first time I met her."

"It's the first time for me, too," Zelda noted as she provided Link cover, taking out a swarm of fire keese with a slingshot and an ice spell. "You would think we would have met her before in some loop variant, but I only ever see her with Talon and Epona."

Zelda stepped off the ledge and dropped straight down. She pulled out a Deku leaf and slowed her fall enough to land safely next to Link.

Link scratched the back of his head. "It doesn't mean anything, right?"

"Probably," Zelda agreed as she surveyed the next part of the path.

A rope bridge extended over the chasm in front of them. It wasn't very sturdy. They traded looks.

Bowing mock-courteously, Link gestured towards it. "Ladies first."

She teleported to the other side. Turning back towards Link, she curtsied just as mockingly. "Can't keep up?" Zelda asked sweetly.

"It's on," he promised, and the race began.

* * *

><p>6.6 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Malon hummed happily as she drew another line on the blueprint. The sound echoed beautifully off of the organometallic walls of her workshop. This promised to be another useful invention. Being a genius was the best, thought the part of her not busy thinking of twenty different things to try before teatime.<p>

"Malon? What dat?" Link asked worriedly, then frowned. "I mean, 'what's that?'" Under his breath, he muttered, "Stupid Nornish verbal tics."

Malon cackled. Giggled. It was definitely a giggle, Link tried to reassure himself.

Link did not manage to do so. The mad scientist laugh sent off all sorts of internal alarm bells. He rubbed his right ear, which was larger and much more sensitive than it was when he was a Hylian. His species, called Norns, were short, furry, big-eyed, all-around cute, and generally stupid. Norns normally walked around fur-clad - brown, in his case - but he had insisted on wearing a variation of his normal outfit even after Malon sown in a dozen gadgets that he was frankly scared to test.

"Malon," he sighed, "please tell me this isn't going to be a formative loop for you."

She peered over the holographic screen at him. Her change in species from human to Shee had given a broader nose, ears longer than a Hylian, enormous eyes, and a light coat of white fuzz. It had also given her a preference for wearing robes that were a cross between a dress and a white lab coat, not to mention the near-insanity and extraordinary intelligence characteristic of her species.

In this loop, Malon was the Lone Shee, a genius among geniuses, so entranced by inventing that she had missed her race abandoning their home planet and had to build a living spaceship to play catch-up. Whatever the normal power source was, in their current loop, the Lone Shee had created a functional warp portal that was subsequently jury-rigged to siphon energy from the Triforce in the Sacred Realm.

The ship had launched via supervolcano, which made a mess of the cataclysmic kind on the (almost certainly entirely) abandoned planet. The Lone Shee rarely acted with any restraint. Her sheer intelligence had seemingly killed and buried her common sense.

This behavior remained unchanged even after Malon Awakened. Shortly afterwards, it had become apparent that Ganondorf had awakened in the body of a Grendel - the mean, reptilian, and extremely dangerous counterpart of Norns. Malon had immediately conceptualized biomechanical devices that she insisted would force him into hibernation for the duration of the loop if she could get them built.

She had done it, too, as easily as cracking an egg. That the devices also played orchestral music and smelled faintly of hazelnut butter were, Malon had insisted, completely necessary for the setup to function.

Now she was making… something.

"Nothing is wrong with this loop!" Malon protested cheerfully. "I've been having lots of fun. With a few more trials, I think I can figure out how to gene-splice with magic so I can do it in other loops." She poked at her blueprint again. "This will be an aquarium for my future Octo-Cuccos."

Link ran that phrase over in his head. It did not change what he had heard. "You're making bomb-spitting aquatic birds with tentacles?"

Malon looked horrified. "No! Of course not!" she vehemently denied. "Bombs would crack the glass." She fluttered her hands to illustrate. "These will only spit rocks."

"So the tentacles…?"

She bemusedly shrugged. "Of course they'll have those. Why wouldn't they?"

Link smacked his palm over his eyes. He turned around and hit a button on a teleporter set for the Norn Meso.

* * *

><p>Appearing in the middle of Zelda's private garden, he stated firmly, "Alright, time for an intervention."<p>

Zelda, currently a purple Norn clad in a pastel yellow dress, shifted away from her potted berry bush and politely smiled at Link in a way that he translated as 'I told you so'. "Oh?"

Link nodded unhesitatingly. Having Malon wrapped up in her current genius, that he could handle.

But Octo-Cuccos? She was going too far.

* * *

><p>6.7<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda dove over a fallen log, tucking and rolling on the other side. As she sprang upright, she twisted to the side, just as an arrow flew by her head. Behind her, she could hear the grunting cries of the Moblins that were chasing her. She quickly raced around the trees, sidestepping the underbrush as she tried to lose her pursurers.<p>

She had Awoken just over a day ago. In this life, she was apparently a member of a traveling circus troupe, led by her adoptive mother, Impa. She had been raised as an Sheikah, though her ears hinted at her Hylian heritage. She performed as a dancer in the circus performances. She didn't recognize this life, so she was glad for something new. However, when she pinged the Triforce, she discovered a large problem.

The Triforce was gone. It still existed, a distant pulsing presence, but the close connection she was so used to relying on was gone. She couldn't remember any of her past lives from this Loop, and she couldn't feel if Link or even Ganondorf were Awake. She had panicked, and reached for her subspace pocket, only to find that that was also inaccessible. It was while she was in the middle of her panic attack that the Moblins attacked.

It started with a fiery meteor falling from the sky. It crashed into the main performance stage, knocking the musicians that were practicing off the stage. From the fiery mess rose the tallest Moblin Zelda had ever seen. It was a veritable mountain of muscle, and it caused the hair on Zelda's neck to stand on end when it bellowed out a roar of challenge. In response, Moblins seemed to hurtle from the shadows, pouring through the camp and attacking the performers. Zelda had barely had time to see Impa leap up to face the beast on the stage when a pair of moblins charged around the edge of a tent, and Zelda had to set off running to dodge away from the arrows they started firing at her.

Which led to her current predicament, racing through a tunnel formed by the roots of trees, keeping one step ahead of the Moblins pursuing her. Zelda slowed, listening for the sound of pursuit. "I think their goh no I jinxed it!" Sure enough, a moblin dropped out of the tree in front of her, hollering and waving its spear. Zelda stumbled backwards, falling against the trunk of the tree, which cracked once, then gave way. Zelda fell, down, down, down, into the dark.

* * *

><p>Zelda slowly stirred. She could feel something soft underneath her, bobbing up and down. *slish, slosh, slish, slosh* She twisted onto her side, and, with a startled yelp, rolled off of the lily-pad she was laying on and into the water. She surfaced, spluttering, and started to tread water as she took in the cave she had apparently landed in. Glittering gems covered the walls, glowing in faint light, and most of the cavern appeared to be filled with water. The sole exception was a small island near the center. She began to paddle over to it, thanking her time as Tetra teaching her all the tricks for how to swim.<p>

The island was made of solid stone, but small bushes grew through the cracks in the rock. In the center of the island sat a small stone statue underneath a slanted stone roof. The statue was feminine, with its hands cupped out in front of it and a pair of fairy wings extending from the back. Her Loop memories told her that this was a Fairy Sanctuary. She had visited one with Impa in the past, but she couldn't remember much about what had happened, or what a Fairy Sanctuary was supposed to do. However, if it gave her a way to contact the Great Fairies, it might just give her some tools to survive this Loop.

Nothing happened as she approached the statue, and she realized that there was a ring, nestled in the palms of the fairy statue. She recalled the Rules of the Dungeon that Link had introduced her to. "Dungeon Tip Number 4: If you can pick it up, it is probably important. Number 5: If you can't pick it up, come back later, you might be able to then." Smiling lightly, Zelda reached forward and poked the ring. Nothing. Slowly, she picked it up out of the hands of the statue.

It was a fairly ordinary silver band, with a sparkling yellowish stone inset in the top. She examined it for a moment, then, slowly, slid it onto her finger.

*FLASH*

"Ahahahahaha!" A familiar laughter filled the sanctuary as Zelda blinked away the sparkles from her eyes. Sure enough, one of the Great Fairies was now floating above her, smiling.

"Long have we waited, guarding the Sorcerer's Gauntlet, for the Hylian Princess to return and restore the power of the goddesses to the land." The Great Fairy twisted in midair. "Will you take this quest, to awaken the other Great Fairy's, reclaim the Stones of Power, and break the seals of darkness that threaten to envelop the land?"

Zelda nodded, lifting her hand to her heart, only to stop, startled. The ring had transformed, turning into a silvery gauntlet which enveloped her entire hand and partway up her forearm. A stylized design was engraved in the back, with the yellow gemstone embedded in the middle. Six empty spaces circled around the gemstone, connected by shining lines. Hylian runes glowed softly across the face of the gauntlet, and Zelda squinted to try and interpret what they were doing.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Zelda jumped and turned to face the Great Fairy, who had floated up to the point where she was floating right over Zelda's shoulder. The Great Fairy laughed and spiraled up into the air, and, in response, fairies seemed to pour out of the woodwork, flitting around the cavern and darting across the surface of the water around the island.

Zelda smiled, then frowned. "What happened to Hyrule? What do you mean 'seals of darkness'"?

The Great Fairy settled, slowly, and then sighed, deep and sad. "It is a long tale. I suppose, that it begins with the fall of the Twilight King Zant, and the death of the one known as Ganondorf."

* * *

><p>"Peace had just been settled after the Princess of Twilight and the Hero's of Time's descendant defeated the madness of the Twili. The lands returned to normal and all seemed well. But, the ancient curse of hatred was not so easily defeated. The hatred manifested itself and sought to destroy the kingdom. Gathering sages from the races of Hyrule, the Queen of the time managed to seal away the darkness beneath the palace. Peace, it seemed, was restored.<p>

However, the seal was not perfect. Years later, the great-grand daughter of the Queen came to the throne. At first, it seemed that her rule would continue the peace of those that came before. However, the hatred of the Dark King slipped free of the seal and began to corrupt the Queen. When her only daughter fell ill, she was at first sorrowful, before becoming consumed by a desire to find a cure. However, no cure could be discovered. Finally, in her madness, she sought to use the Triforce to restore her daughter. However, the corruption of the hatred of the Dark King had thrown her heart out of balance, and the Triforce was shattered as she tried to grasp it. She truly lost herself in grief, and lashed out, destroying the palace and the surrounding town.

Descendants of those who originally sealed the hatred away gathered, and they once again bound the hatred, along with the queen, deep beneath the palace. However, the royal line of Hyrule was no-more and the Triforce was gone, its pieces scattered to unknown places. Chaos fell on the land, as people rose up to battle against each other, striving to claim the right to rule.

Eventually, King Langstron rose, from the town of Ordon. He claimed to be a descendant of the great heroes of old, and he led his army to crush his enemies, eventually uniting most of the lands under his leadership. The Kings have now ruled from Ordon for three generations, while the tales of Hyrule have slipped from memory and into myth."

* * *

><p>Zelda nodded. All of that seemed to ring true with her memories of Impa, telling her about the glory of Hyrule and other stories. Thinking of Impa reminded her of the attack, and she turned to bow to the Great Fairy. "I thank you for this gift, but I must check on my family. They were assaulted by Moblins, and they will need my help."<p>

The Great Fairy smiled, before gesturing with her arms. Several of the fairies looped around Zelda, before trailing out and circling above the water. In the middle of the circle, ripples gathered and broke, and an image appeared in the water. Impa and several of the other Sheikah were gathered, picking up pieces of the stage. They all appeared to be fine, though weary and wounded from their battle.

"I will send a fairy to relay that you are safe, but you, daughter of Hyrule, must journey to the ruins of the old palace. I fear that the monsters that attacked your circus are but a sign of things to come. The darkness stirs, and you must restore the light of the Triforce to battle it, or all will be lost to the hatred of the Dark Queen." The Great Fairy gestured, and the gemstone in the gauntlet on Zelda's hand glowed. "To this end, we gift you with the power of the Fairy Topaz. With its power, you can cast a bolt of light, which will weaken and destroy monsters born of darkness. You can also call on the wisdom of the Fairies to help guide you. You must seek out the other stones, reclaim the power of the Triforce, and ensure that the seal on the darkness remains strong."

Zelda nodded. "I will."

"Then go." And with that, light rushed up around Zelda, and she was off, on to her own adventure.

* * *

><p>6.8 - (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda was in another fused Loop analogous to the 20th century Hub, with no idea as to what was supposed to be happening.<p>

Milling about as she prepared dinner – quietly thanking Impa for making sure she learned such skills during those times when the two were on the run – she decided to turn on the news and see what was going on that looked like a local plot hook.

"Breaking news:" a voice talked over a sensation-type image, "pagan rituals on the rise as children around the world dress up in strange costumes and blackmail homeowners for candy. Film at eleven."

'This sounds like a great Loop to take a vacation to some deserted tropical island and work on my tan,' Zelda thought to herself.

* * *

><p>6.9<p>

* * *

><p>Link crept through the corridors of Ganondorf's fortress. So far, he hadn't seen too many guards, though there did seem to be a few more jars and pots that were usually contained in the fortress. Link hadn't broken any yet, as Ganondorf had pinged as Awake and would probably have trapped them. However, old habits die hard, and so Link slowly approached one of the pots.<p>

It was full of dirt. Link was leaning a bit closer to examine the dirt, when there was a brief flash of light, and a small plant popped into existence. It was an odd mix of green, blue, and red, with a small pair of leaves at the base of its stem. It was topped by a sort of trumpet shaped opening, connected to a ball that looked oddly like a bomb flower. What really caught Link's attention were the pair of small beady eyes on the ball, which were staring at him with a great deal of focus.

*pffpht* Link barely had time to bring his shield up as the plant fired something small, green, and hissing at him.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf smiled on his throne as he felt the floor shudder slightly underneath him. In his hand, he held a small packet marked "Bloom and Doom Seed Co." It was truly amazing, he thought, what you could get when you cross-pollinate a peashooter with a bomb flower. Throwing his head back, Ganondorf laughed as his fortress shook with the sound of explosions.<p>

* * *

><p>6.1 - Sta~ar trekkin', all across Hyrule. Got to protect the princess, to prevent Ganon's rule!<br>6.2 - Moblinberries.  
>6.3 - Your rebellion has been hijacked by Ganon.<br>6.4 - Here is your companion cube. Go with it, if you want to live.  
>6.5 - Link has a Mastery in Dungeon Architecture<br>6.6 - It's not mad science. It's Malon Science!  
>6.7 - First portion of an Epic Loop. Zelda gets to try the hero garb on for size.<br>6.8 - "Reports indicate that shrines are chosen by hurling unborn chickens at them."  
>6.9 - Thus the revenge of the pots begins...<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: In Which Weirdness Happens**

Disclaimer: I disclaim that I do not own Zelda...or anything else associated with the Legend of Zelda Games. Well, I do own copies of the games, but I do not own the characters or locations or, well, you get the idea.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>7.1 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared up at the moon hanging ominously over Clock Town.<p>

The moon stared back.

"**HI! WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND?**"

...Screw this Loop.

* * *

><p>7.2 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>All three of the Hyrule Loopers agreed: there weren't enough N-O's in WRONG to describe this Loop.<p>

For one thing, they were all on the same side, which was unusual.

For another thing, despite clear references to the Star Wars world (which all three had visited separately), certain things had been changed and twisted. Like, say, common sense. In what other universe would "combing the desert" involve a ten foot tall Afro pick?

For yet another thing, it was Prince Ganondorf being rescued. This, Ganondorf pointed out, was yet more evidence that the Loops hated him.

When it came to the mooks chasing them, though, one thing was exactly the same. The safest place to stand when they were shooting was right in front of them.

But as they stood in front of the spacegoing Winnebago bickering over who locked the keys inside, one of the Spaceball troopers got lucky- or, rather, unlucky.

A small lock of Ganondorf's hair fluttered to the spacedock floor.

A pair of amber eyes turned blood red.

With a roar Ganondorf sent out a wave of dark energy back towards the bunker and the convenient line of Spaceballs, who were all bowled over simultaneously.

"Er, Ganondorf," Zelda said quietly, "I thought we agreed-"

"HE SHOT MY HAIR," Ganondorf roared. Then, in a slightly softer voice, he barked, "You two go on ahead. Tell 'mother' I'll be along shortly." He cracked his knuckles before striding back to the bunker. "I have a planet to conquer."

* * *

><p>Planet Druidia shrieked in terror as Spaceball One completed its transformation into MegaMaid.<p>

The shrieks stopped when a familiar voice echoed down through the air shield.

"MY PEOPLE OF DRUIDIA. THIS IS THE VOICE OF PRINCE GANONDORF... THE NEW ABSOLUTE RULER OF PLANET SPACEBALL."

For a few moments the shrieks turned into cheers... until the Druidians noticed that the air shield doors were opening and that MegaMaid's vacuum cleaner was moving towards them.

"IN A FEW MINUTES WE SHALL DISCUSS THE TERMS OF PLANET DRUIDIA'S SURRENDER," Ganondorf continued. "BUT FIRST, DEAR MOTHER QUEEN ROLAIDE, IF YOU HAVE THE STOMACH FOR IT, I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MATTER OF MY ENGAGEMENT TO THE PRINCESS HEMORRHOIDEA."

Aboard the Winnebago, Link turned to Zelda and asked, "So, do we stop him?"

"I think... not," Zelda said. "This Loop deserves him. Besides," she added, holding up a Triforce-shaped medallion, "I don't want to be anywhere nearby when he realizes who the only other eligible royalty of the opposite sex is in this Loop."

* * *

><p>7.3 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf Awoke in an unfamiliar room.<p>

As had become his custom, the first thing he did was purge his local self of the remnants of Demise's curse.

Scanning his Loop memories, it seemed to be a standard Loop, aside from the odd starting location. He was in a small shack on the edge of Hyrule Field, between Hyrule Castle and the Gerudo Desert.

Ganondorf sensed that the other Bearers were Awake. That always made things interesting.

He was in the middle of making his plans when he was interrupted by a small noise.

He looked down, and froze.

'Well. This is certainly different.'

* * *

><p>Link and Zelda were getting worried.<p>

Ganondorf hadn't shown up, and since they could sense he was Awake, this didn't bode well at all

Link had gone to grab the Master Sword early, and as soon as he had drew it, he started feeling... pings from it. Almost as if it was showing Fi's dowsing abilities.

This was giving him really bad vibes.

Zelda had started preparing defenses in the castle, while Link had followed where the sword was pointing.

It had led him to an unremarkable shack out in the Field.

As he drew close, he could hear a familiar voice, and as he followed it behind the shack, he started making out the words.

"-now SIT! SIT! Good boy! Good boy. Who's my adorable little abomination? Who'sh my little monshter? Who ish? You ish!"

Link rounded the corner and stared.

Staring back at him, bent over something on the ground, stood Ganondorf.

In front of him was a tiny version of Demise's Fallen form, about the size of a chihuahua.

The silence stretched for several moments, broken only by the occasional yips from the mini-Demise.

'Oh goddesses it sounds like a lapdog from hell,' thought Link.

Ganondorf coughed. "I don't suppose I can convince you to not mention this to anyone?"

The silence continued.

There was the click of a camera shutter.

Link _ran_ for it.

The ground behind him exploded as Ganondorf followed.

* * *

><p>7.4 - (OracleMask)<p>

* * *

><p>"Wait, so you're sure you're not an Elf?"<p>

Link "Strider" tried not to show any obvious annoyance. Even if he'd been getting this question - repeatedly - ever since Waking in this loop from everyone he met including Gandalf, and even though Link liked all the hobbits - they reminded him of Kokiri but with giant hairy feet - Pippin's insistence in proving that their Ranger was secretly an Elf was starting to irritate him.

"No, Master Took," Link replied, "I am of the race of Men."

"But the ears?"

"My family tree does have a few Elves in it," Link admitted, thinking of what his loop memories told him about the Men of Numenor, "The ears are...a throwback."

* * *

><p>7.5 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>The scent of athelas, steeped in red potion, filled the room.<p>

"You know," Link, son of Arathorn, said to the woman in the bed, "you could have blasted him from a hundred yards away. There was no good reason for you to take him on sword to sword."

The woman sat up. "I have been waiting so very, very, very long to say this." Zelda, Princess of Rohan, threw her hands up in an exasperated shrug, rolled her eyes, and said, "Well, ex-CUUUUUSE ME, Prince."

* * *

><p>7.6 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Out Of Horses, Come Back Later<p>

* * *

><p>Malon seethed. "Ganondorf killed all of the horses?" She looked ready to strangle the man with her bare hands. Her hair practically bristled like a hissing cat's.<p>

Pushing locks of her own hair out of her face, Zelda sighed. "Indeed. It was a couple hundred years ago. Ganondorf was Awake at the time - he's still Awake, just sealed, my Loops are like that sometimes - and he got the idea to create an undead cavalry. Cleaning that up was...messy."

Malon bet it had been. She could recall legends of the time that spoke of how a mysterious sorceress had destroyed the army. ReDead rotted awfully when re-killed, with even scavengers unwilling to touch them. Efforts to remove the pollution had resulted in what was still called the Bog of Eternal Stench. ("I borrowed the name from one loop I visited," Zelda had admitted.)

Crossing her arms, Malon grumbled. "I don't have the intelligence that I had back on that spaceship, you know. I've got the theory, but the gene-splicing magic is tricky." She closed her eyes as she thought over her options.

Zelda nodded sympathetically. "The efforts I made to find a new riding animal all failed pretty spectacularly. If you don't want to," she began, but Malon's frown was pushed away by cheer.

"Hee! So that's where the weird farm breeds came from. It gives me a lot of material to work with. We can give it another go." Malon stretched, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck. "Say, did you know the modern giant Cucco can reach three feet in height?"

Zelda hid a smile. If some future loops continued to follow the current altered timeline, Hyrule had interesting times ahead.

* * *

><p>In another life, Malon led an Awake Link on a tour of the Lon-Lon Stables. She giggled as she concluded, "And that's why we have Chocuccos."<p>

Dryly, Link asked, "Not Chocobos?"

"Chocuccos," Malon replied firmly, pointing at the red wattle and comb on the nearest specimen. Its coloring looked suspiciously like that of Epona-the-horse. "You know who this is. She's the smartest of the bunch, too. Has a few interesting mutations."

Link chuckled and stroked Epona-the-Chocucco's back-feathers gently. "Ganondorf doesn't stand a chance."

Fluffing her feathers blissfully, Epona cawed, "Kick his ass, wark, kick his ass."

Link startled backwards and gaped at the talking bird. It had been several loops since something had truly managed to surprise him.

Tittering, Malon cooed, "What a smart girl," and fed Epona a carrot.

* * *

><p>7.7 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight. You can carry several different swords, enough bottles to start your own recycling center, hundreds of live bugs, magic wands, magic carpets, butterfly nets, sticks, stones, nuts, a bow and arrow, shields, even a damn RAFT... but you can't carry ten thousand and one rupees?"<p>

Link shrugged. "What would anyone ever need with that much money on them anyway?"

"I don't know- buy your own island, maybe?"

Again Link shrugged. "I already have my own island. It's overrated."

"All right, fine, but there must be Loops where rupees are hard to come by and you need to buy something really expensive, really fast. And you can't keep money in reserve?"

"I met this other Looper named Nabiki Tendo. She taught me about a wonderful concept called 'venture capitalism.'"

The other Looper threw up his hands in defeat. Link smiled a little smile. That was the fourth Looper who had tried, and failed, to teach him about subspace pockets.

Sure, there were a few limitations to the method Link used... but if it's not broken, don't fix it.

Besides, playing stupid with the strange Loopers was always good for a laugh, and if he ever needed money he could trade his way from a paperclip up to that island resort in twelve steps or less.

Link was nothing like as simple-minded as he looked.

* * *

><p>7.8 - (Indalecio)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda, in her current incarnation as the Pirate Lady Tetra, was troubled. There was something different about Link, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He'd just defeated Phantom Ganon and was about to rescue the kidnapped girls from the Forbidden Fortress. Right now he was pecking at the door with his beak, trying to get it open.<p>

"The cell won't open that easily."

"Bwak?" asked Link.

"There you go, acting before you think." she motioned to the two pirates beside her to open up the cell door before him.

"Bwak."

"I swear! Do you even realize that we had to draw that monster bird off for you? It was about to come flying in here!"

"Bak!" Link's feathers ruffled a bit.

"Yes, you probably could've taken it, but its always nice to have someone watching your back. Anyway, we'll take the girls for now, so you can get on with your business." she glanced up to where the giant bird, the Helmaroc King, was currently approaching for battle.

"Bwak!"

Yes, there was something odd about Link this loop, but what could it be?

* * *

><p>7.9 - (SpaceKGreen)<p>

* * *

><p>Link and Ganondorf slowly circled each other, out in the field east of Hyrule Castle. Both were Awake, and the field showed the scars of their battle.<p>

Outside the magical arena that had been set up around them, Zelda sat in an incongruous lawn chair, sharing a bag of various treats with an confused Midna.

Suddenly, Link smirked. Dropping his sword, he spread his arms wide, as if in welcome.

Ganondorf almost pressed the advantage, but something about Link's grin unnerved him.

Link grinning like that never ended well.

"What have you got planned, boy?" he growled.

Link's smile grew wider. "One word," he said, as a small golden disc appeared in his hand.

There was a sound as of millions of corks popping simultaneously, followed by a deep, roaring, angry hum.

Ganondorf's eyes bulged as he saw the golden cloud pouring out from Link's subspace pocket. Zelda and Midna screamed.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

* * *

><p>7.10 - (Indalecio)<p>

* * *

><p>Link and Ganondorf slowly circled each other, out in the field east of Hyrule Castle. Both were Awake, and the field showed the scars of their battle.<p>

Outside the magical arena that had been set up around them, Zelda sat in an incongruous lawn chair, sharing a bag of various treats with an confused Midna.

Suddenly, Link smirked. Dropping his sword, he spread his arms wide, as if in welcome.

Ganondorf almost pressed the advantage, but something about Link's grin unnerved him.

Link grinning like that never ended well.

"What have you got planned, boy?" he growled.

Link just stood there, continuing to grin until he finally extended one finger as if pointing up at the extremely large ball of energy hovering there in the sky.

"Spirit Bomb" was the last thing Ganon heard as the ball of energy plowed into him.

* * *

><p>7.11 - (OracleMask)<p>

* * *

><p>Link and Ganondorf slowly circled each other, out in the field east of Hyrule Castle. Both were Awake, and the field showed the scars of their battle.<p>

Outside the magical arena that had been set up around them, Zelda sat in an incongruous lawn chair, sharing a bag of various treats with an confused Midna.

Suddenly, Link smirked. Dropping his sword, he spread his arms wide, as if in welcome.

Ganondorf almost pressed the advantage, but something about Link's grin unnerved him.

Link grinning like that never ended well.

"What have you got planned, boy?" he growled.

Link just stood there, continuing to grin until he finally extended one finger as if pointing up.

Ganondorf looked up.

The moon looked back.

"**HI, FRIEND!**"

* * *

><p>7.12 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke with a start as his alarm clock went off. With a startled curse, he rolled out of his bed and landed heavily on the floor.<p>

"Link! Are you okay?" called his mom from downstairs. He tried to place the voice. Was that… Navi? He gave himself a mental shake and told himself to focus.

"Yes, Mom!" he replied.

He heard her move about. By the smell drifting through the house, she had cooked breakfast. "You had better hurry and get ready if you want to get to the Professor's house on time! Today's the big day, after all!"

Yes, his loop memories told him, today was the day where four new trainers from Pallet Town would start their Pokémon journey. He blinked as he remembered the names of his friends and rivals, as well the details of what the journey would entail.

The material Link had studied in the Hub hadn't mentioned anything like that.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, he joined four other thirteen-year-olds standing on the dusty road that ran in front of the Professor's laboratory. Each of them wore jeans, T-shirts, jackets, backpacks, and baseball caps, all normal for this loop, but each mainly wore a different color.<p>

After a few moments of everyone trading uncomfortable glasses, the kid with purple hair and matching clothes made a face. "Looping?"

"I am," replied Link's best friend, Zelda "Blue" Hyrule, daughter of the current Champion.

"So am I," said Link "Green" Orden. His father had been a well-known trainer.

"I as well," came the reluctant response of Ganondorf "Red" Dragmire, whose background Green had known nothing about. Link rarely ran into Ganondorf while he was a young teen, so Ganondorf's lanky, thin figure and boyishly pitched voice amused Link.

Ganondorf caught sight of Link's grin and scowled, guessing the reason for Link's amusement. After Link used his cell phone to take a picture of Ganondorf's face and the next few faces Ganondorf made as well, he had to hastily dodged when Ganondorf growled - like a puppy, thought Link - and grabbed for the phone.

Ignoring the byplay, Vaati "Purple" Minish sighed in disappointment. "I thought so. Damn, winning this just got harder." His Unawake self had simply wanted to get out of their small town, but Awake Vaati had more ambition.

Zelda rolled her eyes as Link and Ganondorf wrestled for the cell phone. Ganondorf had a height and weight advantage; Link relied on dirty tricks. Boys, she thought. To Vaati, she said, "Do you want to try this loop without using out-of-Loop abilities? It could be fun. None of us are giving off the cursed aura this time." She sidestepped the two on the ground as they rolled in her direction.

Displeased with the dust thrown onto her shoes, she took out her own cell phone and started recording. Vaati glanced at her, shrugged, and did the same.

From behind them, a voice said, "If you don't stop fighting, you'll meet a terrible fate, won't you?"

Link and Ganondorf scrambled apart. Zelda and Vaati fumbled with their phones as they jumped and turned to face the interruptor.

All four of them had full-body shudders. They hadn't noticed from their loop memories, but the Professor was the Happy Mask Salesman. Sure, he wore a suit and lab coat instead of his usual outfit, but the face was as creepy as usual.

Their plans for the loop shifted from 'have fun' to 'hope a moon doesn't fall on us'.

Professor Happy Salesman clapped his hands gleefully. "I'm glad we all came to an understanding. Now, you are here for your starters, are you not?" He ushered them into the lab.

Link again considered the Pokémon games he had played during one Hub visit. The Salesman replacing Professor Oak explained quite a lot about what he remembered about life here.

Shelves of masks in glass jars lined the clean white walls of the well-lit lab. At lab tables, assistants had either one jar with a mask or a jar, a mask, and a Pokémon. The four assistants looked like younger versions of the Professor, too.

The Salesman led them across the tiled floor to a table with four jars upon it. "Dibs on the Eevee mask," Vaati said instantly.

"Oh, it's nice to see such an eager ranger," the Professor said, picking up the jar and angling the opening towards Vaati. He reached in and grasped the mask confidently.

Ganondorf shot Vaati a jealous glare and cleared his throat. "Professor, I have a question. Why did masks replace Pokéballs? Isn't it much riskier for a human to use a mask to battle than-"

The Professor leveled a hateful look in Ganondorf's direction. He shut up and involuntarily took a step back as the Professor crowded Ganondorf's space. "Mr. Dragmire, you do know that forcing Pokémon to fight was outlawed, don't you? You aren't advocating that humans have the right to force sentient creatures to battle to the point of unconsciousness or death, are you? You wouldn't happen to be a coward who likes to hide behind others, would you?"

His arguments, Zelda knew, weren't as clear-cut as they seemed. Trainers, who kept pet Pokémon in Pokéballs for use in nonviolent competitions, could also be licensed rangers. Rangers, as most called mask-users, had become the standard fighters after Professor Salesman invented his new mask system. Both were allowed to fight and obtain wild Pokémon the old-fashioned way if defending themselves.

Ganondorf's jaw clenched as he visibly restrained himself from landing a blow on the Salesman. "My apologies, Professor," he grit out. "I understand my error."

"Good," said the Professor before shoving a jar in Ganondorf's direction. He pulled out a Charmander mask. The Professor, smiling again, chose the Bulbasaur and Squirtle masks for Link and Zelda respectively.

The Professor clasped his hands together and smiled even more widely. "The four of you know what to do next, I hope?"

They put the masks to their faces. There was a brief moment of pain. Then, they had transformed.

A full-length mirror stood conveniently to one side of the table. The four crowded around it to look at their new forms, poking at their faces and testing their skins. While definitely Pokémon, their colors had changed to reflect their true selves.

Link had the Triforce marking on one forepaw, a pointy green hat, and the Hylian royal crest on his bulb. Zelda had a silver circlet, the Hylian royal crest on the stomach of her shell, and the Triforce marking on her hand. Ganondorf also had the mark of the Triforce on a hand, the Gerudo symbol on his back, and a golden crown on his head. Finally, Vaati wore a purple cap and a gold necklace set with a red eye-like gem.

"Fascinating identifiers! I believe this may be proof of reincarnation," the Professor exclaimed. "Or you just have overactive imaginations, funny children. I've registered your information with the League. Now, make sure you can change back."

The four teens reached for their masks - like subspace pockets, a physical movement wasn't necessarily required - and tugged the masks off.

Professor Salesman continued to speak. "Speak with the assistant closest to the door on your way out to get your Pokédexes and a small amount of blank masks. Remember, they must remain on a live Pokémon's face for a few minutes to properly copy the Pokémon! Convince a Pokémon to wear the mask by feeding it or passing its test; most Pokémon among the major routes know what humans are getting up to, after all, and they don't object to the masks nearly as much as being shoved into teensy, tiny little balls for indefinite amounts of time."

Still smiling brightly, he said, "I expect you all to be very successful on your journeys," his smile turned into a frown, "if you manage to survive your first month, not like that Cubone kid who went out with the Clefairy twins."

His demeanor darkened further. "Thieves who stole my work. They deserved what they got."

Noticing the various displays of skepticism (Link), disbelief (Zelda and Vaati), and boredom (Ganondorf), the Professor forced a grin back onto his face. "Good luck!"

* * *

><p>Link miniaturized his newest mask, a female Nidoran, and clipped it on the inside of his vest. Most rangers had a similar system as laws limited them from carrying more than ten at a time.<p>

"Isn't there any less time-consuming way to get masks?" Zelda wondered as she sat on the boulder with him. From their vantage point, they could see over the tall grass and trees that filled the route.

Vaati agreed from his seat even higher on the boulder, "I would like that there was as well. Greenie, don't you have anything from that Termina cycle I keep hearing about?"

Ganondorf and Vaati still traveled with them because sticking together made them less of an easy target for any evil plots. Wild Pokémon were becoming more and more unpredictable and dangerous even as they trained up their masks' levels. All of them had the uncomfortable suspicion that their loop's usual curse had infected someone and was spreading its effects throughout Kanto.

"There's a song I can play around a unhappy spirits with unfinished business," Link replied with a shrug. "The song helps them move on, and they leave masks pretty similar to this loop's."

Ganondorf looked up from digging a fire pit at the base of the boulder. He sat back and dusted his hands off. "Teach us this song now," he demanded.

"Does everyone here even have a magical musical instrument?" Link asked with incredulity.

Suddenly, Vaati had a xylophone across his lap, Zelda pulled out an ocarina, and Ganondorf held a harp. Link withdrew a saxaphone. "Never mind. Here's the Song of Healing."

They picked it up quickly.

A few minutes later, the field nearby had masks lightly scattered across it. They weren't extraordinarily abundant - not everything that died would stick around - but more than any of the four had expected.

Maybe a natural disaster had occurred sometime in the past couple of years; a wildfire would account for some. The recent upswing in hostility from wild Pokémon and the lack of psychics and exorcists in their locality would contribute to a portion as well. It was impossible to tell how long ago the spirit Pokémon had died.

"Aaaand Pokémon kill and eat each other in the wild all the time, huh," Link said lamely as he switched his sax for a spyglass. "I wonder what kind of results we would get in other places." He picked up the one mask that had landed on the boulder - a Rattata - and tested it. The transformation worked, as did the miniaturization. He could even scan it with his Pokédex like a normal mask. "They're definitely legitimate."

Ganondorf's grin showed plenty of teeth. "I suggest we drop the plot while we can, stop relying solely upon in-loop abilities, and go off course to stock up our subspace pockets. All for?"

The other three raised their hands slowly, still a little stunned by the success of the song.

The cawing of a Spearow flock overhead broke through their reverie. All four exchanged looks and pushed off the boulder, scrambling for the masks.

"Dibs on the-" Ganondorf snapped up a shiny Beedrill mask as Vaati spoke. "Damn it."

* * *

><p>7.13 - (barryc100588)<p>

* * *

><p>The Happy Mask Salesman stared down at the mask in his hands, a gleeful smile on his face. The smile soon turned malevolent.<p>

"At last. Majora's Mask is back in my possession! I can finally take revenge on the gods who cast my ancestors into darkness!"

Link gripped his Sword, but didn't draw it.

"Your ancestors? You are a member of the lost tribe?"

The salesman looked at Link.

"Yes, I am. I took this form to hide from the gods while I worked tirelessly to decipher my ancestors' records. When I learned about Majora's Mask, I knew how I could avenge them. And now, the moment is at hand! Thank you, Link, for aiding me in getting my revenge!" The mask salesman turned around and started to put the mask on. Link released his sword and pulled a mask out of his Inventory while this was going on, and put the mask on. He painfully started transforming into Fierce Deity Link. The Happy Mask Salesman turned around at Link's painful grunts, eyes widening at the transformation going on.

When the transformation finished, Link wordlessly pulled out his Helix blade and swung at the salesman. he backed away in front, eyes widening further as Majora's Mask fell off of his face, cut in two from the slash.

"No! My mask! My vengeance! Ruined!" The mask salesman glared at Link. "You'll pay for that!"

Link glared menacingly at the mask salesman, causing him to scurry away.

* * *

><p>"And that's how I stopped the threat of the Happy Mask Salesman. Let me tell you, I did not need him as my enemy."<p>

Malon was listening attentively to Link's story.

"Gosh, Link, I hope you don't have a variant like that again. What happened to him after he left?"

Link frowned. "I heard he got himself killed trying to get some other ancient evil on his side. But that does bring up a question: The salesman was definitely human. How could he possibly be related to the ancient tribe in the Majora's Mask legend?"

Malon thought about it. "I don't know, Link. I don't know."

* * *

><p>7.13 cont. - (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Malon then gave Link a deadpan stare. "It is a mystery. It boggles the mind. We may never know. How would he ever manage to take a form unrelated to the tribe? If only we knew someone who had experience with magic masks. And shape-shifting. And knew a song to make shape-shifting magic masks, that he may have learned from a magic mask salesman. Oh, the humanity. How will we ever unravel this huge, nigh-unsolvable brain puzzler?"<p>

Link slumped over his glass of milk. "Nobody likes a smart-ass, Malon..." he pouted.

* * *

><p>7.1 - When you look at the Moon, the Moon looks back at you.<p>

7.2 - They learned about the Schwartz from the great sage Deco. His house had a certain style.

7.3 - An Abomination is a Thief King's best friend.

7.4 - They always ask about the ears. Always.

7.5 - Turnabout is fair play, and so sweet besides.

7.6 - Why ride horses when you can ride giant, death chickens?

7.7 - Never underestimate the power of the Trading Chain.

7.8 - Then the hat comes off. "Wait, you're a chicken!"

7.9 - At least it isn't the Cucco Swarm.

7.10 - Oh look, it's a running gag.

7.11 - Spreading the Lunacy.

7.12 - The Song of Healing is so OP.

7.13 - Just look at that creepy grin. Humans just don't have that many teeth!


	8. Chapter 8

**LEGEND OF ZELDA: Let's Be Silly!**

Disclaimer: Hey, guess what! I don't own the Legend of Zelda! Nintendo does!

* * *

><p>8.1 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf's discomfort with having the body of a child, a strangely shaped head, and stranger family members - all of who reminded him of no one so much as that deluded fool who wished to be a fairy - melted away at what his father offered to him.<p>

"And if I make your stars, then I will have the Triforce - er, the mark of your true heir?" he prodded his in-loop father for confirmation.

His father spun in the heavens and emitted a disturbingly rainbow-colored aura. "As We said, We have been holding onto it until the day you prove that You are not the sort of prince that would roll up candy to steal from babies. Your poor cousins had to put up with too much. You may earn Our respect by making stars that are: Magnificent, like Us. Shining, like Our Face. Beautiful, like Our wife. Brilliant, not like you."

Ganondorf grit his teeth and did not respond to that as he wished. "I will not disappoint you," he said instead.

Ganondorf's eternal hatred for Link and Zelda almost felt soothed. Finally! The world recognized who truly deserved the Triforce. Ganondorf had won it before, yes, but never had the process been arranged in his favor.

The hero always won - and now Ganondorf was the hero. He even had the green clothes to prove it.

* * *

><p>First a cow, then a herd…<p>

Buildings, clouds, continents…

The firmament itself could not withstand his might.

Ganondorf exulted in the power of his multicolored katamari. "Ha ha ha HA ha ha HA!" He spotted a new world with a rather familiar landscape just as he rolled it up. "Hyrule is mine, yet again!"

* * *

><p>"Have I met your requirements, father?" Ganondorf demanded.<p>

"You obviously enjoyed the tasks We assigned you," the King of All Cosmos said. He held out a hand. "Your job is complete. The Triforce is yours."

Ganondorf reached for it.

The King pulled it back slightly. "But…"

"Did I not earn it?" Ganondorf forced himself to speak civilly.

The King agreed, "You did. But We forgot something."

Ganondorf nearly cracked his teeth holding in a snarl. "What?"

"What is it, what is it," the King pondered, twisting himself into a circle. "Ah, yes, now We remember!"

The King paused.

"The loop is about to end."

Ganondorf's jaw dropped. He sputtered. "What the f-"

His sentence finished elsewhere.

* * *

><p>8.2 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>An Intersection of Artifacts<p>

* * *

><p>As a magical artifact loaded with the divine power of three goddesses of creation, the Triforce had long had some measure of sapience. It could not have looped otherwise.<p>

That is not to say that it had a human mindset, whether that human was mortal or not. Ages came and went, and went and came. Sometimes another being touched it while it was whole. Other times it lay scattered in pieces against the world.

It could not care less if its 'body' were whole or not. That only mattered to the goddesses and the being eager for their power.

And all that the loops meant to it was that the ages would continue to come and go for even longer than expected. That should not have been an issue.

Unfortunately, fate had chosen to introduce a new element to the Sacred Realm where the majority of the Triforce rested.

The sword sitting next to it quivered, perhaps rejoicing in obtaining a captive audience. Even without a mouth, it spoke. Again. It had not stopped, and it kept on repeating. "My legend began in the 12th century-"

The Triforce shuddered. For the first time in its lengthy existence, its thoughts gained a greater coherence. 'Please, Goddesses, no.'

A bolt of power rained from the sky, striking the Triforce and ejecting it in pieces into the outside world.

'Gratitude.'

* * *

><p>8.3<p>

* * *

><p>Link shuddered as he thrust his sword into Din's Flame. The fire seemed to dance and wrap around the blade, altering it slightly and infusing the blade with a faint glow. Then, a painfully-familiar, grating voice spoke up.<p>

"Oh~yeah! That really hits the spot. Feel those impurities just burning away. Why, this reminds me of the time that the Lady of the Lake, now she was quite a looker. Anyway, so she had just claimed me back from Arthur, I think this was either the thirty-third or thirty-fourth time. Arthur was a guy then, kind of a shame, Arturia is super-hot. I get polished just thinking about her. You know, I..."

Link pondered, not for the first time this Loop, the merits of gouging out his own eardrums. It would hurt, but probably not as bad as listening to Caliburn's non-stop rambling.

* * *

><p>8.4 - (KrisOverstreet)<p>

* * *

><p>Two swords lay side by side in the smithy, lit only by the cooling coals of the forge.<p>

"You know," said one sword, "a lot of people get me confused with the Sword in the Stone. You know, 'he who pulls me from the stone shall be rightwise King of all Britain' and like that? Totally different sword. But sometimes I take on his job, you know? Especially when I visit the Hub world. Yeah, that was the worst Loop I've ever had. Wanna hear about it?"

The other sword could have spoken, had it felt a need, but chose not to.

"Right," Excalibur said. "So there I am with that engraving just above my hilts- and whoever did that must have either had a machine or a magnifying glass, because I was a letter opener. A frigging LETTER OPENER! There I am, whoever held me had a legitimate claim to the crown of the United Kingdom, and I spend thirty years as Richard Branson's goddamn LETTER OPENER!" If a sword could have shaken its head, Excalibur would have. Instead the sword managed to slide down a hair from where it lay propped against the wall. "So, you ever been to the Hub world?"

A holographic figure sprang from the crossbar of the Master Sword. "I have," Fi said, "but only as part of an operating system for certain useful devices. I was... not popular."

"How bad was it?" Excalibur asked. When Fi didn't immediately respond, he added, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Have you ever heard of something called... 'Clippy'?"

* * *

><p>8.5 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>An Intersection of Artifacts, Part 2<p>

* * *

><p>Excalibur grew thoughtful as he watched the Triforce blast off in a very literal way.<p>

"Good show," he complemented, though not towards the Triforce. "I give it an 7.75 out of 10 for style. And you thought I could not do it."

Three fairy lights - one red, one blue, and one green - whirled down from the sky and circled around Excalibur. If anything was said, it was not aloud.

Excalibur chuckled. "Do I win the bet, or do I win the bet?"

The lights shifted again. They clustered together, occasionally moving as if peeking over each other to look at the sword, and then separated. They bobbed up and down.

"Fantastic! You won't regret adding to my legend, ladies. I look forward to working with you."

The lights glimmered dubiously before disappearing in a burst of golden light.

"I still have it," he praised himself.

* * *

><p>8.6<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf sat at the edge of the crater formed by Link's technique. In one hand, he held a small bucket of popcorn, which he was slowly munching from as he watched the show. For a moment, he had been worried when Link pulled out that massive glowing sword. But then, he had managed to dodge out of the way, barely, and he just happened to have been standing between Link and the Lon Lon Ranch.<p>

Ganondorf chuckled as he watched Link being chased by that annoying Malon. She was riding that horse that usually ferried Link around, and the Cucco Horde was following her, directed by her righteous anger. Ganondorf grinned. It truly was funny when he wasn't on the receiving end.

* * *

><p>8.7 (6.7 continued.)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda landed lightly as she descended from the tree she had climbed to get her bearings. She brushed off her loose pants, before she started to head north. From her Loop memories, and what she knew of the less changeable landmarks of Hyrule, she was in an outgrowth of the old Kokiri forest. Hyrule Field was to the north and east, though it was now called the Lonlon Plain. Zelda has spotted what appeared to be a road that looked to be passing through the forest towards the field. She would take that road and head up and across, to the city of Ordon. She clenched her fist, contained in the Gauntlet, and set off.<p>

As she walked, Zelda continued to try and reach out to the Triforce, and to access her subspace pocket. From the story, it was obvious that the Triforce was in pieces, which was probably contributing to the difficulty in accessing it. But, it was strange. Even when she was Tetra and the Triforce lay scattered beneath the Great Sea, she could still reach out and access it. Her subspace pocket was likewise usually unaffected. Something else was happening, and she needed answers to find out what.

Zelda ducked low under a branch and stepped onto the road, startling the three Moblins that were lounging about in the shade of a tree. For a moment, the four just looked at each other, before, with screeching shouts, the Moblins charged towards Zelda. The two nearest her were wielding large spears, while the farther grunt was fumbling with a short bow. Before, Zelda has fled from the Moblins, being confused and unarmed. Now, however, she was not nearly as defenseless.

Zelda twisted, stepping quickly to the side, keeping the charging Moblins between her and the archer, and she raised her arm. The first thing she had done after leaving the Fairy Sanctuary was practice casting the Fairy Spark spell that the Fairy Topaz granted her. Light flowed out of the gem and across the lines of her gauntlet, before pooling in her open palm, forming a flickering ball of light. With a quick shout, she thrust her arm forward. The sphere flew, smacking into the chest of the nearest Moblin. With a cry, the Moblin sprawled backwards, tendrils of Light dancing across its limbs. The other Moblin charged, ignoring its fallen comrade, and behind it, the third Moblin fired an arrow. Zelda twisted into a quick back handspring, dodging the arrow and gaining distance from the Moblins.

As she regained her feet, she fired again, striking her first target just as it rose shakily to its feet. Once again it collapsed, but, this time, it lay still, before exploding into wisps of black smoke. Zelda sighed in relief, before smiling. These monsters were shadowborn creatures, which meant she didn't need to worry about holding back.

Monsters in Hyrule tended to come in three forms. The first were ordinary animals and creatures that were irritated or induced to attack, often by dark forces. They had their natural abilities, but were otherwise innocent creatures. The second were animals from the first category that had been changed by dark magics in someway. Most octoroks were examples of this. Occasionally, they could be purified, so it always saddened Zelda when she was forced to kill them, as they were as much victims as she was of their attacks. The third, however, were the shadowborn. They could take any form, but they were merely anger and hatred give shape by dark magic. They had no true feelings, they were not truly alive in the most basic sense. And that meant Zelda could let loose on them without regret.

The charging Moblin barely had time to react before Zelda had closed the distance between them. She sidestepped its thrust, and then grabbed the overly long spear and, with a twist, used it to knock the Moblin off balance. It fell hard on the ground, squealing, and Zelda brought her arm down in a palm strike, a sphere of Light leading the thrust. The force of the blow and the energy of the sphere instantly dispersed the Moblin, including the spear she was holding. Zelda quickly rolled to the side to avoid another arrow, but hissed lightly as it struck along the side of her leg. She raised her hand and cast another Fairy Spark. The Moblin squealed as the sphere crashed into its face, and it staggered back. Zelda rose while it was distracted, and hurled a follow-up Spark moments later, causing the archer to vanish in smoke like its fellows.

Zelda paused, catching her breath from the fight, before wincing and rubbing the side of her calf. Slowly, she called up a simple healing spell she had learned from that lovely purple unicorn, and she was glad to see that she could still access her other magical powers, even if her pocket was still out of reach. After tending to her leg, she straightened, and turned towards the north. Time to go find some answers.

* * *

><p>Zelda pulled her thin cloak around her as she crept through one of the alleyways of Ordon. She had gained the cloak from a second band of Moblins. Apparently, one of them had stolen it from a farm they raided or something, because it had remained behind when they dispersed. Now, she was using it to blend in with the city, as her bright Sheikah outfit would certainly cause her to stand out.<p>

She had been moving through the town, seeking any information about the monster attacks and any whisper about Hyrule and the Old Castle. Most of the gossip had been fairly worthless, but she had heard that a contingent of the city guard, large imposing armored soldiers that patrolled through the streets, had been seen leaving the city in the direction of the Old Castle ruin. Zelda hadn't been able to follow up with the rumor, but, for now, she was going to try and find a way to get into the castle and talk to the current King, Horatius.

Unfortunately, the Ordon Guards were really quite capable, and, unlike the Hyrulian Guards that Link laughingly ran circles around, the Ordon Guards were not adverse to using force against those they caught trying to enter the palace. Zelda had barely slipped away from them, and she was now following another piece of advice from Link.

"There is always a back way in." Zelda smiled as she spotted what she was looking for. A tree stood next to the palace wall, and, high on the wall, several vines twisted and tangled across each other. It would be quite a leap, but she was confident that she could make it. She glanced up and down the street, before hurriedly scaling the tree. One of the thicker branches actually extended straight towards the castle wall, giving her an excellent launch point, and she lightly stepped, one, two, LEAP!

She crashed into the wall, one of her arms looping around a length of vine, and the other scrambling to grab onto something. Her legs kicked out, and then her free hand caught a vine. Slowly, she caught her breath, before she started to pull herself up the wall. Link made this look so easy when he was scaling over the walls.

She arrived on the top of the wall without incident, and slowly she made her way over and down, slipping in through a door. As she crept down a passageway, she ran through her plan, and she felt like smacking herself. So, she was in the palace, but how was that supposed to get her an audience? The king didn't know her from a Goron, and the efficiency of the guards led her to think she would probably be tossed out or thrown in the dungeon before she could get out the first sentence. She sighed, then shook her head. She would find the king first, then worry about what came next afterwards.

* * *

><p>She had just crossed over from the outer wall into the main castle when a massive crash caused her to leap three feet in the air and set her heart racing. The crash had come from the room she was just sneaking past, and seconds later, a somewhat familiar, if often unused, voice cried out, "Ah, fire, fire, it's on fire!" Without thinking, Zelda pulled open the door, to a truly odd sight.<p>

Link, or at least, this time period's version of him stood, grasping his head and looking harried, an emotion that seemed out-of-place on his usually stoic face. In the middle of the floor, a large mechanical bird lay in pieces, one of its wings hanging off, and with flames dancing from the neck joint and head. Zelda quickly stepped forward, pulling off the dusty cloak and she quickly beat it against the burning owl, smothering the flames. Zelda turned, her eyebrow quirked and a laughing comment on her lips, when Link spoke.

"I thank you, my lady, but I must ask, who are you?"

"I..." Zelda froze, as she stared at Link's face. He...wasn't Awake. Zelda slumped slightly, before gathering herself. He may just Awaken later. In any case, "My name is Zelda."

Link nodded, before his attention landed upon her Gauntlet. "Are, are those Hylian Runes? Can you read them? Where did you find that? What-" but whatever else he was going to say was cut off by a knock at the door, which had swung shut behind Zelda.

"My Prince, are you alright? I heard a crash."

Link stumbled and blinked, looking off-balance, before he dashed over to the door. "I'm fine. Yes, just fine. The project I was working on just fell over. Nothing to worry about."

The voice on the other side of the door was silent for the moment. "Very well. Do try to be more careful though, my Prince. I won't live to see you take the throne if you insist on giving me heart-attacks."

Link sighed and nodded. "Yes, yes, I know, David. Thank you for all that you do."

"Of course, my Prince. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll turn in for the night."

"Yes, of course. Good night." Link sighed, before turning away from the door. Zelda started as she remembered that this Link was a stranger, in a strange time that she knew almost nothing about. Slowly he approached. "So, ah, your name is Zelda?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes. I, um, I'm looking for information on Hyrule. I was hoping to speak to King Horatius about what is known about Hyrule and about its fall."

Link shook his head. "That would not be a good idea. My father, er, he doesn't like talk about Hyrule, or the Dark Queen. He says we need to move forward, that the past is best left for scholars and the future belongs to kings." Link's voice had shifted, showing that he was reciting the argument mainly by rote.

"Ah. Well, I suppose I best go then."

Link looked up, waving his hands. "No, no. I mean, my father doesn't like Hyrule, but I love it. The tales of heroes and princesses, and fairies and magic, and all of it. It's amazing," he paused, before looking down. "Not like anything like that happens these days."

The room was silent for a moment, before they both moved to talk. "Do you know-""Would you mind-" They stopped, then laughed. Zelda waved her hand, and Link bowed, smiling, before he extended his hand. "Would you mind if I examined your gauntlet? I am trying to learn Hyrulian Runes, but the only place that I can really study them is the Old Palace, and it is closed off."

Zelda paused, before holding out her hand. Link took it and then leaned in, examining the lines and patterns on the gauntlet. "Facinating. The lines are shifting. That must be why the messages on the walls don't make sense. You have to read it as it changes to get the whole picture. So, if this line, that is fairy, and then it changes to focus, then heart, then...bullseye? That seems odd. Wait, it could be focus again, but, target of focus?"

Zelda realized that Link had pulled out a book and was paging through it as he examined the runes. She smiled. While this Link certainly seemed more cerebral than usual, seeing the intensity and focus as he strove to translate the symbols, she could see clearly that this was Link's reincarnation. Though, she paused. She had been calling him Link in her mind, but that might not actually be his name.

"While I appreciate your attention, I do not believe I caught your name, my Prince."

Link looked up, startled, before his eyes widened. "Oh, of course, forgive me my lady." He let her hand drop and bowed deeply. "I am Prince Link Temerius Seren de Ordon, Crown Prince of the Ordonian Empire."

Zelda smiled. This Link also was rather better mannered than her Link was most of the time. She then sighed. "It is a pleasure, but I am afraid I must take my leave. I seek to uncover the truth of Hyrule's fall, and for that, I must go to the Old Palace, if your father will not help me."

Link frowned, "My father may not, but I think I can." With that, Link darted over to a chest of drawers. He began frantically pulling items out of drawers, shoving them into a satchel or tossing them aside before spinning around. He had pulled out a cloak, which hung around his shoulders, and the small satchel was slung over one shoulder. He quickly darted past her, before slowly pulling open the door. He glanced up and down the corridor, before glancing back at her and waving her to follow him, then he vanished out the door. Zelda chuckled lightly as she did so, carefully pulling the door shut behind her.

* * *

><p>8.8 - (barryc100588)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganon watched as Aizen was sealed by Urahara, disappointed in the man's performance. His Loop Memories had settled and he knew he was the one who had convinced Aizen to turn traitor this loop.<p>

"I thought he'd have done better, having that Hogyoku thing. Ah well, it just means I have to clean up his mess, like usual for me." Ganon sighed and gripped his sword. "I may not have one of those Zanpakuto, but that shouldn't matter." With one last look at the globe, he broke apart into shadowy particles and disappeared.

* * *

><p>Ichigo frowned as Urahara finished his work. "Somehow, I feel this ended too easily."<p>

Black particles started floating around the area before coming together to form a body, which soon gained color. Ichigo gripped his sword, not having used his Ultimate attack to help defeat Aizen this time. "Who is that?"

Ganon laughed as he fully materialized. "You may call me Ganondorf. I've come to finish what Aizen started." He pulled out his sword, which glowed with an unnatural light, and tossed the sheath away.

"What kind of Zanpakuto is that?"

"This thing? It's no Zanpakuto, but it does have a sacred power that I turned to work for me." He laughed. "Now, have at you!"

* * *

><p>8.9 - (Mivichi)<p>

* * *

><p>A Purple Gale<p>

* * *

><p>Vaati raised an eyebrow at all of the people panicking around him. He didn't see what the problem with the location was. It looked like ancient ruins to him, neither well-maintained or overly decayed. A little work would make them perfectly homey, especially if they had working sewers and a water supply.<p>

His loop memories told him that this all was supposed to have been a game that just got an update. Right, and he was actually a hero, he thought sarcastically. If this was still a game, wouldn't it still have a menu? He focused on making it appear with his mind, sure that it would not.

It did. Vaati tried to work that out but failed. His loop memories suggested that looking through the menu would be wise, so he did. His equipment proved his appearance about matched how he looked in Hyrule, minus the purple skin: purple tunic, red shorts, laced sandals, purple cape. He even had the Minish Cap - apparently, it was a Phantasmal-class item, which meant he hadn't taken all of his fun from PKing other players.

Vaati's status page gave some more useful information: Elf, Sorcerer, level 90, with a subclass of Looper.

That last bit twigged his attention. He flipped over to the subclass menu. That had plenty of helpful tools. Deciding not to alarm the plebs, he left his EXP alone and instead activated all of his skills from the Hylian loops, plus a few of interest from the loop where Usagi had visited and stomped him flat.

All of those together gave him enough skill in magic to feel the essence of the world around him. That permitted Vaati to firmly throw away the idea that this world was some kind of illusion, not that he had thought it was beforehand. He went back to looking at the menu.

The Loopers here apparently got a help file. Vaati was jealous.

However, it didn't tell him anything about living in Theldesia. He cast an eye over the crowd. Only a few of the Adventurers were pulling themselves together. Most were in denial about what had happened to them. He dismissed them.

Vaati instead turned his gaze to the people manning the streetside marketplaces: the NPCs, the Landers. Most of them seemed entirely stoic, but a few had slowly dawning looks of confusion with a small helping of fear. He could work with that. Beginning to grin like a shark, Vaati walked to the closest one.

Behind a cart piled high with fruit, the mustached man sweat like he stood on the edge of a live volcano. Vaati leaned forward, casually taking a pear and biting into it. He relished the sweet, juicy crispness.

"O-one g-gold per p-pear, please," the vendor managed to stutter out.

Vaati hummed thoughtfully. "Why should I pay?"

The vendors eyes showed white all around the outside of the iris. "W-w-wha-"

Vaati gestured with the pair. The man followed the movement as if Vaati held a bomb. "Here's an important question: what are Adventurers usually like?"

The look the man gave Vaati wasn't promising. The vendor appeared close to fainting.

Vaati tried to give a more kindly smile that didn't show how amused he was. The stark terror of the vendor only increased. Vaati rolled his eyes. "You can answer truthfully. I swear I won't hurt you if it's insulting," he promised.

Vaati dug out his wallet and put five gold pieces on the counter in front of the vendor. The guy's eyes shot towards the coins. "In fact," Vaati said conspiratorially as he added five more coins, "the more useful information I get, the more I pay you."

The vendor's eyes flicked between Vaati and the coins. After digging a handkerchief out of a pocket, the vendor wiped the sweat off his brow. "You Adventurers are usually a soulless lot," the man said finally. "Like golems, almost; just bodies moving around, no emotions to be seen. You sort of talk to us, sometimes, but you never smile or shout or say anything but the exact things you always say. We know how we're supposed to respond. It's our job."

That was about what Vaati had expected. He added another five coins to the counter. "So, tell me what you saw the moment we came here."

The gold boosted the man's confidence via appeal to his greed. "It was the usual sort of transport spell that you lot use to return to the city. I've never seen so many Adventurers appear at once from the spell, but that was the case today. Don't know why, sir, but it was."

By the time Vaati finished questioning the man, Vaati had paid around a hundred gold and the man had calmed considerably.

Then, someone bumped into the back of Vaati. "Hey, look, the NPCs have food!" the Adventurer - Werecat, Cleric, level 90, Vaati catalogued - exclaimed as his hand closed around an apple. "We don't even have to pay. Free food!"

The vendor looked terrified again. Vaata became annoyed. The idiotic youth had undone all of Vaati's work at establishing a contact among the Landers. Worse, the youth failed to apologize for touching Vaati without his permission.

Keeping in mind the vendor's statements about the guard system, Vaati clamped his hand down around the Werecat's arm. The Werecat gave Vaati an unsettled glance. "What's the deal, man? It's just an NPC. It's not like they're alive or anything!"

"Learn some manners, cur," Vaati said coldly. "I am giving you time to contemplate your words."

With that, he turned the Werecat to stone. As Vaati hoped, a status effect from outside the standard system, an effect that only froze the target in place and did not negatively impact health, failed to summon the knight-automaton Guards.

"Sorry for the tacky decoration," Vaati told the Lander. "But I have found you to be more useful than this imbecile." Vaati turned enough to direct his speech to a wider audience and raise his voice. "If any other Adventurers steal from or harass the Landers," he announced, "I will deal with it personally. This city will be mine, and anyone residing in it is also mine. If you wish to challenge me, please do." He grinned in anticipation.

Surprisingly, no one challenged Vaati. They all started muttering to themselves and backed away. They were trying to match up the spell he had used to their gaming knowledge and failing horribly, and that unsettled them.

Vaati continued to smile as he walked unhesitantly to the guild center. Step 1, cow the populace, had begun. Step 2, subjugate the city, would run simultaneously. Step 3 was to rule however the heck he wanted.

Another Werecat padded next to Vaati. He raised his hand to threaten the level 90 Swashbuckler.

The Werecat held his hands up peaceably. "I'm not interested in a fight. I wanted to ask if you were a Looper, nya."

Vaati turned his face to pay closer attention to the Werecat, though he did not slow his walk. "Ah, are you native to this loop? The Anchor, perhaps?"

The Werecat shook his head. "I am only a native looper, nya. My name is Nyanta."

"Vaati," the Sorcerer introduced himself grudgingly. "Are you going to interfere?"

Nyanta smiled and shook his head again. "No, no, I think Susukino will do better under your hand than that of Demikas, judging by your actions thus far. Demikas, the head of the guild Brigandia - you are replacing Londark, his second in command - is much too fond of looting and pillaging for the city to prosper."

Vaati thought back to the times he had been the same. "Let me guess, a wandering hero on a quest comes to the city and puts him down."

Werecat faces were suited to looking smug. "You are very genre savvy, nya," Nyanta noted. "Or are you speaking from experience?"

Vaati smirked. "You'll have to guess."

"I would think a little of both would be probable for a Looper," said Nyanta.

Vaati flushed. He stopped, turned, and glared at Nyanta. "I am good at what I do, thank you! Just watch, the entire town will want me to be their overlord!"

"Of course, nya," said Nyanta genially as Vaati stormed off, fuming. Nyanta stayed doggedly at his heels.

"Do you have something to add?" Vaati grumbled. "You are very close to becoming a statue."

Nyanta smiled. "I was wondering if you needed a chef, nya." And then he explained why Vaati might want him along.

"I knew this place was too good to be true," Vaati complained, horrified of the thought of eating something that could only be praised as not tasting like Moblin cooking thanks to lacking any flavor at all. "Yes, you're hired, come along. Backstab me and I will make you into a statue - I am certain you can comprehend my methodology."

He frowned at what they saw as they rounded a corner. "Oh, look, another moron."

Both of them could see a group of Adventurers blocking their path. It looked like they were looting the overturned wagon of a peddler. The leader of the group was a burly man in light armor: Demikas, level 90, Human, Monk.

"Why worry about not being able to return home?" he roared as he hoisted a peasant girl roughly by the arm. "We've got food, power, immortality! We don't have anyone telling us what to do! The NPCs will do whatever we want them to do. They're not real people. They can't stop us. Are you with me?"

A few Adventurers looked horrified. Many cheered.

Vaati fired off a wind spell that boomed as it broke the sound barrier overhead. The crowd, silenced, turned to face him and moved away.

Demikas narrowed his eyes and dropped the peasant girl. He hopped off the wagon and swaggered down the road. "You got a problem with me, Vaati?" Demikas growled. "We're Brigandia! We PK and steal for fun! Why should it be any different here? We'll be born again in the cathedral no matter how much we die. Fall in line, asshole."

Vaati smiled a mad smile. Demikas stopped. "I will be the one in control here," said Vaati. "Both Landers and Adventurers will serve me. No one may harm what is mine. If you try, I will stop you."

Demikas grinned scarily. "I'd like to see you try."

Vaati snapped his fingers. He stalked past the statue of Demikas, and Nyanta followed unhurriedly.

* * *

><p>Dressed rather casually in Earth-like clothes, the Enchanter Shiroe looked around at the clean and well-maintained streets of Susukino.<p>

"I like what you've done with the place," he complimented Vaati while standing before Vaati's throne. The throne rested on a fancily carved and richly carpeted stone dais in the town center. Though rain fell overhead, it bounced off an invisible shield that covered the entire block.

Vaati rested his head on one hand propped up by an arm of the throne. "They came to see my point of view fairly quickly."

"Indeed," Shiroe agreed. "I saw the statues. It's a shame, though."

Vaati looked at the Anchor suspiciously through half-lidded eyes. "What is?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing…"

Vaati sat a little straighter, peeved at Shiroe dancing around the topic. "What?"

Shiroe waved it off. "Oh, you just seemed bored. I know a specific Fairy Ring nearby that will get you somewhere interesting if you step into it at the right time. But, no, of course you would rather stay here. There's paperwork that needs to be done, after all."

A pile of said paperwork sat stacked at Vaati's feet. When he glanced down at it, he had to withhold a shudder. He could not help but detest the necessity of having a crew of Scribes, Accountants, and Merchants to run the city on a day-to-day basis.

"Traveling to a new continent where no one here could contact you would certainly be an awful idea," Shiroe continued, "so I can't blame you for wanting to manage the day to day minutiae of your city instead."

If Vaati had to hear one more stupid complaint from his minions, he might snap.

Shiroe sagely nodded. "An entire loop spent politicking - that's good experience."

"As unsubtle as you were, you have made your point," Vaati snapped. He tapped the ground, and a circle of light sprang up around the throne. "I can be elsewhere and still control my city. I am up to any challenge you throw my way."

Anything would be better than another day spent sitting around doing nothing. It couldn't even be called a vacation! Ruling certainly was too much work when you worried about little things like keeping your followers happy.

He could have gone a more villainous route, but no, Vaati decided as he observed Shiroe's perfectly composed demeanor. If looping had taught him one thing, it was that challenging an experienced Anchor in their native loop brought nothing but trouble. One could never guess what sort of skill Anchors would call upon to stomp their opponents.

"So, where would you like me to go?"

* * *

><p>Vaati and two others stood upon a long road through green, forested hills. The weather was bright, warm, and sunny, the complete opposite of Susukino's.<p>

The girl in front of him adjusted her straw monk's hat and smiled brightly. "My name's Kanami! Want to travel with me?"

Vaati blinked. He was vaguely reminded of someone he had met before… Pinkie Pie, mixed with Rainbow Dash? The idea terrified him. "Ah-"

"Fantastic! Let's go!" she cheered, practically skipping down the road. "I want to see what's over that hill!"

Somewhat stunned by the charisma of a woman who was not even looping, Vaati started following before he could think about it. He glared at his feet as if they had betrayed him before throwing a questioning glance at the young-looking knight with whom she had been traveling - Elias Hackblade, if Vaati remembered correctly.

Elias Hackblade, the most powerful Ancient in Theldesia, shrugged as he too followed. "She does have that effect on people," he commiserated.

* * *

><p>8.10 - (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>Luffy in the Great Sea Part 1<p>

* * *

><p>Outset Island was wholly unremarkable in the great sea. It was self-sufficient with a few farms and several small families living together. But one day this small island would be remembered forever. It was the home of a young boy with an abnormal scar like birthmark under his left eye that would reshape the world.<p>

* * *

><p>"BIG BROTHER!"<p>

There was nothing quite like awakening to the sound of the sea as it rolled against the sand and seasalt against his face. Unfortunately, it was ruined by his younger sister, Aryll, who was shouting at the top of her lungs right next to him trying to wake him up on his birthday. His eyes opened to Aryll gazing at him through a telescope from the ladder leading up to the watchtower, or Aryll's lookout as she liked calling it, "You're too noisy this early in the morning."

Aryll giggled, "It's already afternoon, don't you know?"

Luffy shrugged and did a quick one over on his memories. Apparently it was also his birthday in this universe so he lay back down, "My birthday means I can sleep in today."

The girl finished ascending the ladder and crouched over the asleep boy, "Too bad. That means all the meat we have back home will go to waste."

It was amazing how fast the boy awoke. Motivation that can only be brought on by food or danger to his friends spurred him forward. And then his reckless nature manifested as he threw himself over the edge of the lookout. He recognized his mistake immediately as the water rushed to greet him, but he countered, sending his arms flying to the other side of the island and pulling himself to his own house.

* * *

><p>"Can't believe I got tricked by an unawake girl like that," Luffy muttered to himself. His 'grandmother' suited him up in a silly green outfit, promising that she'd make 'his' favorite soup for the evening when the town got together. As he made his way back to Aryll's Lookout, he pondered the seagulls overhead, wondering if he could pay someone would cook them if he caught them. But he chose to disregard that thought, since seagulls tasted nasty even when prepared by a master chef like Sanji.<p>

Before climbing the ladder, he withdrew his strawhat from his subspace pocket, replacing the hat his grandma gave him. Aryll gave him a look, "Did grandma have you dress up in those? It seems they would be hot on you."

Luffy gave a big grin, "It's fine, since she's taken care of us for so long. It's the least I can do for her."

Aryll's smile reminded him of Vivi, and he started wondering if she'll start looping soon? Well, he could only hope. Aryll presented him with her telescope and asked him to try it out. Through it he saw a Rito mailman delivering letters...and then panicking and looking to the sky. It drew Luffy's gaze through the telescope, to see a massive bird overhead. Luffy's grin widened, "Ooh! Meat!"

He sent the telescope to his subspace pocket and drew his hands back, shocking Aryll, "Big brother, what...how are you-?"

And then his hands shot to the sky, grappling the Helmaroc King. The bird tried fighting back, but it was no use as Luffy dragged the bird and slammed it to the beach below headfirst, killing it on impact. Luffy paid no attention to his sister as he ran out, shouting meat the whole time and imagining the feast he would eat later. He never even noticed the approaching pirate ship in the distance.

* * *

><p>Another pirate, one that had been held captive by the oversized bird, was just awakening as two people were bickering, the first being an old lady, "I can't fix that, Luffy. We don't have a big enough oven to roast it. Besides, how did you kill such a big bird?"<p>

The other was male, "Just used my gum-gum fruit powers. And it's my birthday! I want to eat meat!"

Tetra's eyes opened to the image of the boy in green garb that seemed far too hot to wear during the summer months. The next thing she noticed was the Helmaroc King laying dead next to her, causing her to jump and scoot away. The surprised reaction drew the attention of Luffy and her grandmother, who greeted her warmly, "Yo! I'm Luffy, and someday I'll be King of the Pirates. Nice to meet you!"

Tetra tried processing the term "Pirate King," before her brain failed. Instead, she looked to him, then at the bird, then him while pointing at the bird, "I'm Captain Tetra of the Tetra Pirates. Did you kill this?"

Luffy nodded, "Yeah! Figured it would make a nice feast, but grandma won't fix it."

The grandma sighed, "And I told you, I'd fix it if I could, but it's too big!"

* * *

><p>8.11 - (barryc100588)<p>

* * *

><p>Link had just rescued Tingle from the prison cell. he knew what was to come. He'd get the Tingle TunerTingle Bottle and the map to Tingle Island and Tingle would be on his way.

"Kooloo Limpa, Become an Item!" Tingle intoned, and for Link, everything went pear-shaped. Instead of receiving the Tingle Tuner, Link became the Tingle Tuner, then everything faded to black.

Link lurched out of bed in shock, breathing heavily. He looked around wildly and patted himself before calming down.

"Just a dream. Thank the goddesses."

* * *

><p>8.1 - Katamari Dragmire.<p>

8.2 - Excalibur is Looping. And it is annoying.

8.3 - Spa for Swords: Being plunged into divine fires.

8.4 - This Loop may not accurately reflect Looping Excalibur's nature. He also might just be lying to have something to say.

8.5 - Excalibur also loves a good bet.

8.6 - Note: Biggoron Master Sword is not as great as it sounds.

8.7 - Zelda is used to breaking in and out of her own castle. She is a bit rusty with others.

8.8 - Even Aizen has been Hijacked by Ganondorf.

8.9 - Vaati loves loopholes, especially those that only he can exploit.

8.10 - Luffy's Wish for the Great Sea: More Pirates!

8.11 - Tingle loves to churn out nightmare fuel.


	9. Chapter 9

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Of Heroes and Bottles**

Disclaimer: Guess what? I haven't gained control over the Legend of Zelda since I last posted. Also, Hyrule Warriors looks like it is going to be an awesome game. Go check it out, after you read this, of course.

* * *

><p>9.1<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda clung tightly to the mane of her horse as she raced across Lonlon Field. In front of her, Prince Link was riding on his own steed, his large cloak flapping around in the wind. For all that she felt she had been adept at entering the palace, Link, even Unawake, has blown her performance out of the water. Right after leaving the room, he had pulled her into a side passage. Several dizzying turns later, they had emerged into a dungeon. From there, they had taken several more passages, through the gardens, a dining hall, and finally ending in a small cavern built in a hill behind the city. During this entire run, they hadn't encountered a single guard.<p>

In the cave, there were several horses stabled. According to Link, they were kept here in case of emergency, so the royal family could escape if necessary. He apparently rode them quite often on his trips outside of the palace. Now, he was leading them on a straight course towards a darkened wood, where he claimed the Old Palace was located.

The horses slowed to a trot as they entered the woods. Zelda kept her eyes peeled, channeling a small measure of magic through the gauntlet to summon a small orb of light. It did little to help, merely twisting the shadows, but it helped her to know that she would be prepared if worst came to worst. The path twisted and split, but Link confidently led his horse down the left-hand path, and Zelda followed. As they wound through the woods, Zelda compared the figure in front of her with the Link she knew.

This Link was an amusing mix of bumbling and confident, at ease with himself and in his mannerisms. However, his confidence was the confidence of Nobility, the knowledge of greatness one was born into. Link, her Link, had a confidence born of being proven, in trial and combat, the confidence of a Hero. Zelda wondered, would this Link have rose to the challenge to dispel the coming darkness if she had not Awakened? Or would it have fallen to her Unawake self to undertake this quest? She smiled, before pulling up on the reins sharply as Link halted his steed.

"My lady, we have arrived. Or rather, we have gone as far as these faithful steeds can take us." Link slid from the saddle with a bounce, and Zelda followed.

They were at the edge of a wall, which Zelda thought she recognized as the outer wall of Hyrule Town. Given the directions from the field, the entry bridge ought to be around here, somewhere. She followed Link as he stepped over some roots, clambering up and over like robed monkey, his cloak snagging on branches and rocks as he ascended. She laughed as he pulled it free from a particularly stubborn bush, and then waved him off as he looked at her curiously.

Finally, they arrived on what could only be the stone causeway leading into town. However, the way was blocked by vines, which filled in the gaps between the ruined walls, forming a natural barrier. The ruined look was accentuated by the presence of several large trees, which extended through the bottom of the bridge.

"This is as far as I have ever gotten. I have often thought of climbing over, but I never took the risk." Link stepped forward, rubbing his hands. "Now though, I have no excuse!" Puffing his chest out, he stepped forward smartly, his hands reaching out and grasping at the vines as he pulled himself up. He placed his feet in the vines and twisted, flailing to grasp a handhold, while behind him, Zelda laughed, wishing she could access her Subspace Pocket for a camera or pictograph machine. She would have to get Link to dig out that penseive of his to show him this memory.

Link had gotten about three feet off the ground, when the vines suddenly began to shake. Link fell back to the earth with a cry, while Zelda spun, glancing around. The vines and trees seemed to vibrate, rustling and shaking like in a wind, and then a dusty, creaking, painfully familiar voice rumbled out.

"Huhoom, hum hmph. Who's there? I was sleeping..." The creaky wooden voice of the Deku Tree rumbled out, and on one of the trees, placed just to the side of the entrance-way, a pair of eyes and mouth opened up, yawning. Link sat on the ground, gaping at the talking tree, while Zelda stepped forward, her heart swelling.

"Great Deku Tree. We come on behalf of Ancient Hyrule, seeking to find the truth behind the darkness that is spreading across the lands." She bowed, then glanced up. The Deku tree blinked several times, sleepily, before focusing on her.

"Hyrule. I remember Hyrule. It was a great kingdom. Blessed of the goddesses. Yes, sad to see now. And who art thou?"

Zelda sighed. It appeared this would be something of a long conversation.

* * *

><p>"I see. Darkness, yes, there is a great darkness beyond the gate. Hyrule isn't as bright as it was, the price of the Queen's madness. Hmmph." Zelda smiled thinly. She had spent the past fifteen minutes explaining the circumstances to the Deku Tree, but it was apparent that the Tree was very old. It often lost track of their conversation and wandered off on tangents. Link was occupying himself by attempting to peer into the Deku Tree when its mouth was open. It didn't appear to notice him examining it.<p>

After a couple of seconds of silence, Zelda spoke. "Be that as it may, we require entry. The answers we seek will lay within. May we please enter?"

The tree was silent for several seconds, before it coughed. "I will let you in, but first you must gather something for me." Zelda bit back a groan. Adventuring along side Link had led her to developing a sense for side-quests, and this was shaping up to be one.

"In my branches, there is an emerald. Find it, and the vines will part before you."

Zelda blinked. Maybe this wouldn't be as big of a quest as she thought. She stepped forward, even as Link began jumping to try and grab a branch. Lightly, she stepped around the back side of the Deku Tree, and she quickly ran up the side of the trunk, before catching hold of a pair of branches.

After several minutes of searching, Zelda spotted a gleam of green in a hole in one of the branches. Slowly, she reached in, using her gauntleted hand. Dungeon Tip #8: Always expect a trap. Her finger brushed against the green gem stone, and suddenly it burst into light, green energy spilling out of the hole as Zelda drew her hand back. The light continued to shine for several moments, before, with a flash, the gemstone shot out of the hole and slammed into the back of her hand.

Zelda cried out, but managed to catch her balance, grabbing hold of a branch to steady herself. She glanced at the back of the gauntlet. The green stone had fused into the open space closest to her wrist, and the lines were now shifting to accommodate it. A pair of line were forming between the Fairy Topaz and the new gem, and there were lines of script scrolling between them. 'Sympathy, Flowers, Springtime or would that be Rebirth?'

"My lady, are you alright?"

Zelda started at Link's cry, before making her way down to the side of the tree. She spotted Link, who was standing, looking somewhat rumpled at the base of the tree. "I am fine," she called down, before swinging down from the branch to land next to him. He stepped back, startled, before gathering himself.

"That is good. Did you, ah, acquire the gem?" In answer, she raised her arm, displaying the gauntlet. He leaned in, eyes widening. "Fascinating. It's changed, hasn't it? It is incorporating the gemstone, and connecting it. Are the glowing lines competing paths, or are they synchronizing? I wish..."

"Harrmph! So, thou found it." Link straightened at the sound of the Deku Tree, and Zelda stepped forward to the front of the tree. She raised her gauntlet, and the eyes of the Deku Tree widened. "I see. So, thou art the one destined to break the seal and purge the land of darkness. Hmm hmm." The Deku Tree shifted, and the green gem lit up. "That stone is the Deku Emerald. With it, thou canst command plants, to either grow or shrink away. It may have use with thy other gem, though what that could be, I do not know."

Zelda nodded, then turned and approached the wall of vines, which shuddered at her approach. Gathering her magic, she pressed it through the gauntlet and emerald. A green glow gathered around her hand, and then spread out, uncoiling from her outstretched hand to merge with the vines. Slowly, the vines drew back, curling up and away from the entrance, until a path was cleared through the middle.

Behind her, Link began to clap. "Well done. Astounding. So this is the magic of Hyrule."

Zelda smiled at him, before turning back to the Deku Tree. "Thank you. I will do my best to clear the land of the darkness."

The Deku Tree swayed in a parody of a nod. "Hmm, yes, I believe it. Unfortunately, my vines are not the only thing guarding the palace. A wall of fire and a wall of ice await thou within. Thou wilt need the Goron Ruby and Zora Sapphire to enter the castle."

Zelda smiled tightly while groaning inside. She just knew it. She bowed again, and then turned to Link. She paused. Link's mouth was hanging open, and a look of horror was plastered onto his face. Then, behind her, a voice spoke.

"Well, well, my prince. I am glad to see you are unharmed. Worry not, we will rescue you from the clutches of this witch."

Zelda spun in place, to come face to face with Ganondorf Dragmire.

"I don't know who you are," Ganondorf said with a sneer, his face void of recognition, "but, you will not escape." Behind him, the hulking shapes of the palace guards dismounted from some truly massive war horses.

'Ok, Ganondorf isn't Awake either. That's good...ish.' Zelda tensed slightly, then raised her arm. Ganondorf's eyes widened slightly as he saw the glowing lines on her gauntlet, before she opened her hand and detonated the Fairy Spark in the center of her palm.

"Arrgh!" Ganondorf stepped back, rubbing his eyes from the light. Zelda didn't want to attack him directly yet, it would likely not do much more than irritate him, but with a good enough distraction…

Zelda had dashed towards the horses after firing off the sphere of light, but she had to tuck into a roll under the arms of the guards, who apparently had managed to avoid or overcome the effect of the light. Luckily, the uneven ground worked to Zelda's advantage. She twisted, rolling down the side of the causeway to the clearing below with the horses. Large war chargers stood next to Link and her steeds, obviously the mounts of the guards and Ganondorf. Zelda leapt lightly, as two of the guards crashed to the earth behind her. She landed in the saddle of her horse, and turned towards the treeline.

'Let's see what this gem can do.' The Deku Emerald flared on her gauntlet, and the trees in front of her twisted slightly, creating a narrow path between them. Zelda drove her horse forward into the gap, the trees twisting to block of the path behind her.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf stood on the ridge, staring down at the trees where the mysterious woman has slipped away. Pasting a smile on his face, he turned back towards the young prince.<p>

"Well, I am glad that you are safe." Ganondorf walked up to the stunned looking prince and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let us get you back to the palace, and I won't tell your father about this little trip of yours."

The prince nodded faintly, staring after the woman, and Ganondorf sighed dramatically.

"Go get saddled up, my Prince." Link started, then nodded again, before making his way towards the path down. He glanced back when Ganondorf didn't follow. Ganondorf raised a hand and waved him off.

"I will follow shortly." He then turned towards the Deku Tree, who was staring at him with a blank face. "For now, I have to speak with our leafy friend here. It won't take a moment." Ganondorf strode forward, his smile replaced with a deep frown.

* * *

><p>9.2 - (abcd_z)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf ran down the hallways of Castle Hyrule, his cloak billowing behind him. Originally his plan had been to enter the castle as an ambassador of the Gerudo people, gain the king's trust, and pull the strings necessary to obtain the Triforce. It had been easy to fool the king the last time he had been in this world, and Ganondorf felt confident he could do it again.<p>

That plan had lasted until two guards blocked him at the castle gates, citing orders that "a red-haired Gerudo male" was to be barred entrance.

Ganondorf slaughtered the guards for their impudence and made his way into the castle, his rage fuelled by the insult delivered to him by the nobodies that didn't even deserve the throne.

His new plan was to slaughter everybody in the castle. The entire ruling family killed, he would forcibly take over as ruler of Hyrule, crushing any who might oppose him. Then, once his reign was secure, he would resume his search for the entrance to the Sacred Realm and absolute power.

At least, this was his plan until he realized that there was absolutely nobody in the castle. He ran from room to room, his rage turning to curiosity, and then to bafflement, as he searched for somebody who could explain what was going on.

He turned a corner and came to a dead stop. Standing in the castle courtyard was a hunched figure in a maroon hooded robe. The figure's gender was obscured by the robe and its facial features were cloaked in shadow. A gnarled walking stick supported the unknown form.

Ganondorf raised his voice. "Are you the one responsible for this?" he asked imperiously.

The figure made no move to speak.

"Speak, now, before my patience runs out and I destroy you where you stand!"

An old man's voice emerged from the cloak. "Let me tell you a story, oh King of the Gerudo. Once upon a time, there was a young man who desired power above all else. He fought and killed many, ruthlessly crushing all who stood before him in search of his dream. And eventually, one day, he obtained his heart's desire: The Golden Power.

"But the Gods who rule the world decreed that this should not be, and ripped Absolute Power from the young man's grasp. Not to be deterred, he set out again. Again, his desires were thwarted. Again and again he tried, only to be thwarted each time by the Gods and their Chosen Heroes. Not even Death itself could stop him, so great was the man's desire. And in time that desire became a curse. Unwilling to let go of his goal, but forever unable to obtain it, the man descended into madness."

Ganondorf sneered. "A pretty story, old man. But utterly irrelevant. I will succeed where that man failed. I am strong! I am powerful! Even if the Gods themselves align against me, I will destroy them and grasp victory!"

The old man chuckled. "Perhaps you will succeed, then, where I have not. But I doubt it."

Ganondorf stepped closer to the man. "You? Who are you, then?"

The figure took his hood off. He was older, much older, but the features were unmistakable. "Think of me as a ghost of the man you could become. I know what you had planned and I gained the king's trust long before you could have." There was no boasting, no pride in the old man's voice, only melancholy. "I sent the entire royal family away, to be spared your wrath. Now there is only you and me."

Ganondorf ground his teeth together. "If you are against me," he said, "there can be only one conclusion." Ganondorf drew his sword and leapt at the old man in one fluid motion, only to be blocked by his gnarled walking staff. Ganondorf's sword should have swept through the old man's protections easily, but somehow Ganondorf's sword rebounded off of the staff, forcing Ganondorf backwards.

* * *

><p>The fight was long and arduous. Ganondorf's strength and skill was pitted against the older Ganondorf's cunning and trickery. In the end only the younger Ganondorf remained standing. He was bloodied and beaten, but he was alive. The older Ganondorf could not say the same.<p>

Ganondorf left the castle, troubled by the last whispered words of his elder self.

"I remember this. Some day, this shall be your fate."

* * *

><p>9.3 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Hooray! Thank you oh so VERRRY much for freeing Tingle! Here is Tingle's heartfelt gift of thanks!"<p>

Tingle stepped back wards, and threw some rainbow confetti into the air.

"Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-limpah! Become... an item!"

The space in front of Tingle's arms shimmered for a second, then formed a green bottle.

"This is a Tingle bottle! It lets you send messages in a bottle! As many as you want!" announced Tingle.

Link grabbed the item and examined it, a disturbingly large smile on his face.

"Infinite... bottles?"

* * *

><p>9.4 - (burningclaw2)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf hated to admit it but he was impressed. Even though Link was unawake in this Loop he managed to make a rather competent villain.<p>

After killing the king of Hyrule, stealing the royal crown, and kidnapping an unawake Zelda, Link had proceeded to throw the lands of Hyrule into chaos. The crown was apparently one of two keys needed to awaken the Lord of the Fae, Zelda was the other key. This Link probably had a bout of Dreaming as Ganondorf had to take cover in order to avoid the after effects of a Cuccoo Bomb going off.

'Note to self; See about getting Link scheduled for a metaphysical cavity search. Just to make sure he doesn't have more of those,' Ganon thought as he dodged out of the way from a swipe of Link's monstrous form.

* * *

><p>When Ganondorf had caught up with Link for the first time this Loop, it was only after the seal keeping the Lord of Fae locked up had broken. Ganondorf had noted how it felt when that happened, especially when it turned out the Link was the Lord of the Fae. Link had grown a pair of large glowing wings with markings all over them and his clothes also changed from his standard Green Tunic to something more akin to a noble's robe, though the coloring remained unchanged beyond some ornamental highlights.<p>

Link then blasted Ganondorf across back into the ruins of Hyrule Castle and Castle Town, which hurt quite a lot, especially after the fifth wall. Luckily he was quite durable. Almost immediately after stopped flying backwards, he saw a massive tree-like structure grow from the middle of the forest, which had started to expand its borders

* * *

><p>Ganondorf dodged the massive blade of the towering suit of armor he was facing. The giant tree he had seen rising in the forest was apparently Link's castle. It was surrounded with barriers, each of which was tied to a boss. This suit of armor was the seventh boss he was facing, and if Ganondorf had read the magic right, there were at least 13 more to go. He grinned as he blocked the next strike, calling on the Triforce of Power to strengthen his arm. Link had been clever, destroying the key pieces in the puzzles needed to defeat these bosses and scrambling the artifacts, so that the weapon to defeat one boss was guarded by a different boss, and vice versa. Luckily, Ganondorf had never relied solely on being tricky. With a surge of magic, Ganondorf sliced through the armor's sword, then twisted, expanding his blade until it was the size of one of the pillars ringing the room. The armor never stood a chance as the blade sliced through it. One more down, a dozen more to go.<p>

* * *

><p>After killing all the monsters he had learned that in order to defeat Link he needed the Crown of Hyrule, which Link shattered into pieces and spread into the sea. Of course a cursed medallion from the Pirates of the Caribbean Loops made it laughably easy to get the pieces due to his body being unable to die or needing to breathe, of course the curse only lasted on him for a day thanks to the immense power from his third of the Triforce.<p>

He then set out to retrieve the central gem of the Crown which ended up being guarded by what the hub had described as a 'Boss Rush' in the Pit of a Hundred Trails. He not only had to deal with the boss monsters he had fought again in various combinations but also faced several monsters he had never fought before. One particularly annoying fight was between him and what appeared to be Sting Chameleon from the Mega Man X Loops, the Stealth Sneak from the Kingdom Hearts Loops, and Espio from the Sonic Loops.

Not only did he have to deal with them turning invisible, and Sting Chameleon was apparently invulnerable while invisible but he had to constantly be aware of any minute distortions in the area so he could find his enemies. Sting Chameleon at least had to undo his camouflage before he could attack.

* * *

><p>Now here he was fighting Link, whom started out with turning into a giant wolf which looked similar to his wolf form from the Twilight Princess Timeline, only wreathed in gold fire at the hunches. The beast while not as directly damaging as his boar form was no less dangerous. It was agile and quick despite its size and its claws and fangs left rather deep gauges in the room. Link had also shown himself to be wielding the Master Sword on his hip, not to mention the Triforce of Courage's protection from dark magic which reduced the damage he was receiving by a fair bit. Oh the beast still was injured but like himself it simply shrugged it off.<p>

Quickly ducking as Princess Zelda, who was currently being controlled by Link, was shooting at him with Arrows of Light. So Ganondorf had to deal with not only a giant, highly mobile monster but also the princess he was supposed to be saving. Jumping to avoid another arrow Ganondorf met Link's pounce with a swiftly charged kick to the maw slamming the large wolf into the wall.

Ganondorf could only grin as he landed, it might have been a nuisance to deal with but playing the hero was definitely a challenge and enjoyable from time to time.

* * *

><p>9.5 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Like always, Phantom Ganon materialized in front of Link. Cackling, he teleported into the air in front of Link, and began charging up an energy ball in his palm. Once the sparking ball was big enough, he hurled a it at the boy below.<p>

Link had done this before. He tensed, waiting for it to approach, then swung his sword at the crackling ball with a mighty

-Ping!-

Instead of flying back at the boss, like most energy balls did, the mass of energy hovered in place for a second, before fading away and exposing a red-and-white ball. Confused, Link wound up for another swing, only to find his sword missing.

"What?!"

Link immediately refocused on Phantom Ganon, who was staring at the ball as well. The ball wiggled once, then clicked. "Congratulations!" announced the pokeball. "You caught the SWORD!"

* * *

><p>9.6 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Like always, Phantom Ganon materialized in front of Link. Cackling, he teleported into the air in front of Link, and began charging up an energy ball in his palm. Once the sparking ball was big enough, he hurled a it at the boy below.<p>

Link had done this before. He tensed, waiting for it to approach, then swung his sword at the crackling ball with a mighty

-BWAK!-

Link barely had time to think 'what?' before the all too familiar cucco horde materialized.

* * *

><p>9.7 - (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>"Zelda?"<p>

"Yes Link?"

"I can't help but notice that absolutely nothing has threatened your kingdom this loop, and that the Gerudo are sending overly generous trade caravans instead of attempting a hostile takeover."

"This is true."

"I also can't help but notice that you replaced all your guards and soldiers with cuccoos wearing guard armor and holding tiny spears."

"This is also true."

"Are these facts related in any way?"

"Not telling."

* * *

><p>9.8 - (abcd_z)<p>

* * *

><p>A Moblin Boss slouched in the center of the cavern with a swollen eyelid and several cuts and bruises marking his body. His unconscious subordinates were scattered around the cave, left there by Link's ferocious attacks.<p>

"All right, all right," the moblin groaned. "You beat me fair and square, so you may take the treasure fair."

Link rubbed his hands in anticipation. It had required a surprisingly long treasure hunt, but at last the Potion of Gaseous Form was within his reach.

The moblin continued to talk. "But take heed: the potion will evaporate if it isn't kept sealed in a bottle."

Link walked through the doorway behind the moblin, entering another cave room. An ostentatious stone fountain in the room sprayed a purple liquid that misted over and drifted to the bottom of the fountain, where the mist condensed into a small pond.

Link pulled up his inventory to grab a bottle, but froze when he realized that all his bottles were already filled with potions and objects that couldn't easily be replaced. Shock turned to relief when he remembered the bottle Tingle had given him. He grabbed the bottle, pulled out the paper inside and tossed it away before filling the bottle with the purple liquid from the fountain. The fountain's pool shrank as it filled up the bottle, until there was no liquid left in the fountain and the bottle was full. The pool had been at least ten times larger than the bottle it was now stored inside, but after spending so much time looping Link rarely worried about things like that. Hell, it didn't even crack the list of top 10 weird things to happen to him *this loop*.

He placed the cork back on the bottle... and the bottle disappeared with sparkles and a brief musical tune.

"What the hell?" Link yelled. "What just happened?!"

The moblin saw what had happened and laughed at Link.

Link turned a baleful eye on the moblin. "You did this?" Link accused. "I was looking *forward* to that potion," Link stated, menace in his voice.

The moblin gulped.

* * *

><p>9.8 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf stretched as he stepped out of his tent. He had been somewhat lazy this Loop, but he had a few plans for a late start that just might knock Link off balance enough for Ganondorf to get to the Triforce first. Both Link and Zelda were Awake, though Link felt like he was farther away than usual.<p>

Ganondorf turned to head to the stable when his foot hit something in the sand. He glanced down to see an oddly shaped green bottle laying in the sand, filled with a sort of purple liquid. He picked up the curious object, and finally placed the shape. 'This is that bottle that Link was ranting about a few Loop ago.' He swirled the liquid about in it. 'So, does that mean this liquid is...' A slow grin stole across Ganondorf's face. There was only one way to find out.

* * *

><p>Link pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal. So far, so good. There had been no sign of Ganondorf thus far. Link had been a bit worried, as he had woken up in Termina, so it had been a bit of a trip to get back here in time.<p>

A slow clap started up behind him, and Link rolled his eyes as he turned around. Ganondorf stood in the doorway to the Shrine. He stepped forward.

"Well met Hero. You have opened the gate for me to acquire the Triforce."

Link shrugged. "You have to get through me first." He grinned as he flexed his arms, already in his adult state. Aging potion was a wonderful thing.

Ganondorf's grin widened. "With pleasure." He then held out his hand, revealing a bottle clasped in his grip. Link barely had time to recognize the small green Tingle Bottle before Ganondorf drew it back and took a gulp from it. Instantly, his body seemed to shift, turning into so much smoke and vapor. Link's eyes widened.

"GANONDORF!" Link charged, but Ganondorf's smoke form was slippery, and he slid to one side, before rushing past Link and through the gate. Link followed, his bellows of anger matching Ganondorf's echoing laughter.

* * *

><p>9.9<p>

* * *

><p>Link chuckled maniacally as he closed the cork. It was always risky to get a Cucco into a bottle, but he had managed it. Thus far, everytime he had used the Tingle Bottle, Ganondorf had always found it before him. He had even used Fi's Drowsing magic attached to a Deku Stick, but somehow Ganondorf always got there first. Well, now he was going to get his revenge!<p>

Link coughed halfway through his mad laugh. Maybe he should see that psychiatrist Zelda was talking about.

* * *

><p>Link grinned. His special Deku stick had just pinged with the presence of a "Cucco in a Tingle Bottle". He was headed out to watch as Ganondorf got his comeuppance. The bottle should be somewhere in the Southern Hyrule Field.<p>

"Ahem."

Link paused, then turned. Malon was standing behind him, tapping her foot. In her hand was a small green bottle, and on her shoulder... a distinctly rumpled looking Cucco was giving Link an evil eye.

"~Someone thought it would be a good idea to stick a poor defenseless Cucco into a bottle, and then have it drop. Out. Of. Reality. You wouldn't happen to know who, would you?~" Malon's voice was syrupy sweet, like a poisoned dagger.

Link paused, swapped the Pegasus Boots onto his feet, and RAN for it. The Bwak of Doom sounded over head as the Cucco Swarm pursued.

* * *

><p>9.9 cont. - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link paused to reflect on his misguided prank. That was definitely not what he wanted to happen. Of course the one time he had decided to exploit Ganondorf finding his bottles, MALON would find it...<p>

Link winced at the memory. That would give him nightmares...

He stopped. How had that cuccoo survived in the Tingle Bottle between Loops, anyway?

When no answer came, he decided he'd find out for himself. Fitting himself into a Tingle Bottle would have been both suicidal and impossible, so he had to try something else. Maybe a fish, he decided. I'll take a bunch of fish, of different ages, and then I'll see how many of them die of old age. That will tell me how much time passes, but then I need to see if I can time a bomb's fuse...

"Hey!" a voice interrupted Link. "Let's get moving! We need to get the Zora's Sapphire!"

Link eyed the fairy floating above him. Maybe he wouldn't need a fish after all, he thought, as a grin slowly appeared.

* * *

><p>9.10 - (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke and blinked as he looked around his clear cylindrical prison for the Loop.<p>

'In retrospect, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner,' he sighed as he pulled out a pack of tarot cards, good for both fortune telling and solitaire, and proceeded to try and keep himself busy until such point that events necessitated his release.

'I hope I don't need to pee while I'm in here...'

* * *

><p>9.11 - (Indalecio)<p>

* * *

><p>For Link, this loop had seemed to be just like baseline. He'd believed it to be so, right up to the point where he'd reached the Spirit Temple. The fiendishly difficult traps he'd encountered, normal for the Spirit Temple, but turned up to eleven in this loop, really should have clued him in to what was going to happen next.<p>

He put the Boss Key into the huge, elaborate door before him, and turned.

As expected, Koume and Kotake were there. They battled, but it seemed they were tougher than normal this time, throwing a variety of other elemental abilities besides fire and ice into the mix. Finally defeating them individually, they stopped.

"Ah! He's stronger this time Koume!"

"Looks like we'll have to use THAT technique!"

They jumped off their brooms, standing and facing him, with a little room between them. They assumed a strange pose and went through an intricate pattern of movements which eventually led to their index fingers touching, all the while yelling.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN! HAH!"

There was a flash of light, and while the being standing there looked a bit like Twinrova, it wasn't. She spoke her voice reverbing.

"We're are neither Koume nor Kotake. You can call us Metake. And now you face me, boy."

It was going to be one of those loops, wasn't it, Link thought to himself.

* * *

><p>9.12 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link walked out of Termina's Clock Tower and immediately headed over to the Bomb Shop. He had thought up an amusing way to prank Tingle involving a Powder Keg, some large sheets of cloth, and a lot of graffiti, and he had been looking forward to it for quite a few loops.<p>

As he turned the corner to West Clock Town, Link allowed himself a smile at the thought of Tingle's face. Seeing a giant fairy crash into the town after 3 days? That would definitely be worth the trouble it would take to spray paint the moon's face over.

Sadly, nobody else would be able to enjoy it. He couldn't feel Ganondorf and Zelda through the Triforce, so he was the only one Awake this loop, Still, even if he was alone, this had been the first Termina loop in a while and he was itching to try his prank out.

'This is going to be awesome.' Link thought, at the Bomb Shop's entrance. 'It's too bad nobody else is here with me. Navi would have loved this.'

Then with a pneumatic hiss, the ceiling of the Bomb Shop opened like a hatch.

A familiar figure Link couldn't quite place rose into the air, grabbing the side of what looked like a flaming barrel with fins.

Link stared dumfoundedly for a second before equipping his Telescope and staring at the rapidly ascending speck.

As the rocket ascended past some clouds, the figure began swinging his arm in a circle, giving a mighty whoop.

Link's eyes widened as he mentally projected the rocket's path. He quickly equipped a megaphone from his subspace pocket. "Hey! I'm using that!"

The figure jumped off his rocket, arm still swinging, looked upwards and gave a toothy grin.

Then with a boisterous whoop, Donkey Kong's fist connected with the moon once more.

* * *

><p>9.1 - You didn't think Zelda wouldn't go questing, did you?<p>

9.2 - Imparting wisdom to a younger you can be a dangerous occupation.

9.3 - Infinite Bottles: The Holy Grail of the Zelda Loops

9.4 - And Ganondorf gets a turn at the hero bit as well.

9.5 - SWORD is evolving! SWORD evolved into MASTER SWORD!

9.6 - Return of the Cucco!

9.7 - Nope, not related at all. *Whistle, whistle, whistle*

9.8 - And the Holy Grail is a dud. Of sorts.

9.9 - The best plans of heroes and Cucco hordes, are derailed by a farmer's daughter.

9.10 - Hero in a bottle!

9.11 - His Rupees! They're over NINE THOUSAND...ninehundredandninetynine!

9.12 - And we end with the Moon getting punched in the face!


	10. Chapter 10

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Two New Loopers for the Price of One**

Disclaimer: Didn't you read the one on the previous chapters? Legend of Zelda isn't mine.

* * *

><p>10.1 - Detective Ethan Redfield<p>

* * *

><p>Looper Conference: LOZ Side story Part 1 (Cross with Elder Tale)<p>

* * *

><p>The light of the sun was blinding overhead as Link awoke laying face up on the ground. Most of the time he awoke, it was both literal and figuratively, as he was usually napping in one way or another. His eyes opened to snow covered fortress city that he had never seen before. He searched his memories for a moment to get the feel for the loop, when he was forced to stop as panicked shouts filled the streets, 'where am I,' or 'is this, Susukino,' and finally 'but this is just a game! Where's my keyboard? I want to go home!'<p>

Wherever he had just looped, it would be an odd one, he just knew.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, he sat in a private home he owned in Susukino. His memories revealed he was part of a guild called the Termina Alliance. Apparently, a version of the other Hyrule loopers were there, awake or not. He sent a ping out, only for countless pings to echo from across Theldesia. He sat down atop his bed and looked up, pondering what to do this loop, only for a menu to open.<p>

His eyes scanned the wealth of information, such as his own:

**Link**

_Elf_

Guardian Lv. 90

Butler Lv. 90

He snorted, apparently the loops had a sense of humor saddling him with a subclass he never acted out before. That was when the sound of ringing in his ears. His menu shifted and showed him Zelda was trying to call. It was short and to the point, "Link, meet me at the guild hall. Everyone currently looping are here as well."

* * *

><p>Their guildhall was in Susukino's meeting hall. Upon opening the doorway, it resembled a small villa, reminiscent of Hyrule Castle's interior with big tapestries containing the symbol of the triforce. The other loopers had gathered in the dining hall: Zelda, Malon and Impa were on one side of the table with Vaati and Gannondorf on the other.<p>

**Zelda**

_Elf_

Lv. 90 Cleric

Lv. 90 Fortune Teller

**Malon**

_Elf_

Lv. 65 summoner

Lv. 90 Animal Trainer

**Ganondorf**

_Half-Alv_

Lv. 90 Monk

Lv. 90 Berserker

**Vaati**

_Race of Ritual_

Lv. 90 Sorcerer

Lv. 90 Vampire

**Impa**

_Human_

Lv. 90 Assassin

Lv. 90 Assistant

There were a few other guild members present, none awake, but they took on the appearance of friends he knew in Hyrule. Most of them made sense, such as Romani, sister of Malon, the Masked Salesman who took on the form of a foxtail this time, even the king of Red lions was there as a werecat. The more baffling members though were Tetra (since she was another incarnation of Zelda), elf forms of Tatl and Navi (sisters in this loop), and even Marin from his dreams of the Wind Fish adventure.

More bizarre than the Unawake guild members was the fact that Ganondorf was the guildmaster. Link couldn't help but think that Zelda would typically be leader in one form or another. He searched his loop memories for an answer, and a moment later, the history of Termina Alliance held the solution. Apparently, the guild was originally called the Gerudo Thieves, who held aspirations of ruling Susukino. They were the most successful PKers out there, drawing their targets to assault more rowdy adventurers and counterattacking en masse, claiming self-defense.

Things changed when Zelda appeared on scene, using her saint like attitude and kindness, redeemed the the king of thieves, Ganondorf, and his Lieutenant Vaati, reforming them and purging the worst elements from the guild. Ganondorf re-christened the Thieves into the Termina Alliance.

Questions arose from the non-awake members, seeking to be reassured that everything would be alright, some desiring confirmation that they were indeed in Elder Tales or another world altogether. When the questions became deafening, Ganondorf arose, sending out a deep pressure that demanded silence. When all noise had dissipated, he turned towards Zelda's side of the table, "Impa, please escort the newer players out and see if you can answer their questions. The veterans will discuss this world and our future actions in it."

Impa looked to Zelda, who nodded in acknowledgement of Ganondorf's command. With that, the room emptied of all but the loopers minus Impa. Vaati was the first to speak, "I have looped here once before. It seems my role is similar to that time, replacing the local guild leader's second in command. Ganondorf apparently took the guild leader's place. But with Zelda's presence earlier, everything has changed from what I knew of this place. I assume the anchor, Shiroe, is in Akiba."

Zelda folded her hands together, "What was your impression of the Anchor."

Vaati sighed, "Shiroe was very cunning, sent me out of Susukino to explore the land with a friend of his. Of course, I saw through those attempts to get me to leave, but the rest of his plan wasn't unveiled until I had already departed."

The dark wizard finished with a brief tale of his adventures with Kaname, along with how to access the world's menu system, the help guide (which sent a ripple of jealousy through even Zelda) and tips on how to survive in the world (such as cooking food and building items that no longer existed in the game world). Malon also shared her own adventures with Shiroe in the Crescent Moon Alliance. Following that, there were a brief moment of silence as the gathered loopers considered their options. Malon arose first, "I will look into my farm outside the city."

Plans were already taking shape in her head for later in the loop for forming a party to go to the dragon nesting grounds and capture some eggs for breeding. Before exiting, a hand landed on her shoulder, Link's, which made her pause. The triforce wielder spoke, "Better safety in numbers. I will accompany you."

* * *

><p>The city was in a dreadful state, with adventurers laying on the ground, sitting against walls without a shred of life in them. They were like living dolls, their hearts still beating but their minds far away. When Brigandia took over, they at least had some direction and motivation, but now...it was almost pitiful. Life briefly returned to their faces as Malon passed by, but seeing Link next to her drove the hope of a girlfriend or companionship from their minds.<p>

Link grimaced at the adventurers as they slipped through a stone alleyway into the more public market. But the stone marketplace was somehow worse, with angry customers shouting at the people of the land for selling them tasteless food. The landers were getting more and more nervous, backing away from the stands as the adventurers. Silently, Link's Master Sword and Hylian Shield materialized in his hands as he approached the gathered players, his blade extended towards the stand, "Leave!"

The player raised his hands, "Come on, man, I ordered this sandwich from the stand and had a bite. It had no taste to it at all. I think I deserve a re-fund."

Link's blade never wavered, causing the player to start sweating a bit, "You'll find that all the food here, except ingredient items, have no taste. No exceptions."

The other adventurers contemplated Link, examining him and sizing him up. They read his information readout, but it was when they reached the Termina Alliance guild member status that their swords were drawn. Link didn't know it, but the adventurers picking on the landers were former Gerudo Thieves members. Link's mouth twitched into a grin, "Oh?"

The leader spat in Link's direction, "You're what's wrong with Susukino these days, a pack of do-gooders that ruined the game for us, turning Ganondorf into a weakling like yourselves."

The commotion drew a crowd of adventurers and landers around the stand, people whispering among themselves. One in particular approached Malon from the side, "Seems like your friend has everything under control."

Malon turned to the speaker and froze. She had heard of her, seen a picture of her given by Ganondorf. Her hair was bright pink, cut short with a blue headband holding her hair in place and her eyes held a soft, calculating gleam to them. Malon's face turned pale as she backed away. The girl sighed, "As always, my reputation precedes me even in the newer loops I never visited. Sakura Haruno of the Naruto loops at your service."

**Sakura**

_Human_

Lv. 90 Monk

Lv. 90 Scholar

She held out her hand. Malon looked at her, then to the hand and back to Sakura. Deciding it better not to offend one of the first loopers, she accepted it, "Malon, Zelda Loops."

The pink haired ninja gave a bright grin, "Well met. You have nothing to fear from me. I already have plans for the loop with the Wyrvens. Hoping to try my hand at breeding dragons, maybe taking a few eggs for home."

Malon nodded, "I'm going to do that myself when I get a party together."

Malon's gaze turned back to Link, but Sakura's never left Malon. That previous calculating gleam had returned, "Oh? You have experience back in Hyrule with animals?"

Link and the thieves were still facing each other down, only talking. Malon nodded, "I've raised most creatures in Hyrule in one loop or another."

Sakura circled around behind Malon and stood next to her, glancing between Link and Malon, "And you ever tried cross-breeding," she baited.

Malon sighed, "Yeah, but Link talked me out of trying any more cross-breeding. He and the other loopers didn't seem to like the results."

Sakura shrugged, "But did you enjoy it?"

Malon nodded, "It was fun, applying my knowledge and making a new form of life! It was like nothing I've ever done before."

Sakura nodded, "It's like that for me in my home loop. 'Sakura, do not experiment with the borg' and 'Sakura, do not cross-breed Godzilla and chickens.'"

Malon looked at her with a slight amount of anger, "I heard what you did to Kakashi. You sent him into a coma for the better part of three loops!"

Sakura cringed, and lowered her head, "I've made mistakes and I've done terrible things to others, I won't deny it. Heck, I've unleashed the Zombie apocalypse on Konoha more times than I can count. But when I research, that's not my intent."

She held up her hands and glanced at them, a gleam entering her eyes as she allowed her passion to flow out, "I just love the thrill of discovery! Trying new things that no one ever has before and pushing the boundaries of mortal knowledge to new heights! Sure I screw up and things break, but the Loops give you infinite tries to get this stuff right. I don't set out to hurt anyone, but what's really lost if I make a mistake? It's all gone when the Loop resets, with only a few people remembering what happened. What's really important in the Loops is doing the things you love doing and discovering new ways to keep your love for them alive."

Malon considered the notorious looper's words. She really didn't sound like the ravening sex-crazed madwoman who committed atrocities on her friends for giggles. She sounded like a kindred spirit. And what's more, she made sense. What would it hurt if she really pushed herself? How bad could her cross-breeding experiments really get if the Loops just wiped away her mistakes like Sakura said?

Then, a blade cut between the two of them. Sakura and Malon looked up with Link's eyes burning with anger at Sakura. Malon looked to Sakura, who now held that calculating gleam once again. Her voice that was filled with so much joy a few seconds ago sounded like ice, "Link...been awhile since we faced off at Wall Rose."

Link's teeth were bared against the girl now. Sakura chuckled, "Come now. I did nothing to you, only took apart that interesting wall for study. Who could have known they were filled with 50 meter tall Titans?"

"I did, but you wouldn't listen, and half of humanity died due to attacking titans thanks to that. Holes don't plug themselves, never mind those titans tearing themselves free of those walls. I'm warning you, stay away from my friends," he growled, his blade now inches from Sakura's eyes.

She gave a wicked smirk, "You think you could take me?"

Link tried ignoring her, even as memories of their destructive fight played across his mind and his body being left broken atop the remains of the wall. He instead looked to Malon, "Are you alright?"

Malon put his hand on Link's blade hand, "What are you doing!? We were just talking. She's not going to cause any trouble, right Sakura?"

Malon's eyes were so innocent, pleading. Sakura held up her hands, "I won't start any trouble. We really were just talking Link."

Sakura's hands reached forward, tapping her menu screen and opening up her friend list. Seconds later, she sent the request to Malon, who opened mentally without moving her hands. She blinked, surprised. Link probably wouldn't think it wise, but Sakura seemed OK, and she had promised not to cause trouble. A couple seconds passed as she weighed her options, then decided to accept her friend request with but a thought.

Sakura closed the menu and shrugged, "I know when I'm not wanted. I'll leave, peacefully."

She took a step back into the crowd and faded into the crowd. Link returned his blade to his sheath and turned to Malon, "Keep an eye out for her. Wherever she goes, trouble will follow. Let's get you to the farm."

The rest of the trip passed without incident as they make their way to Romani's ranch. Upon arrival, Link turned to leave and left her one warning, "Malon, please be careful. Don't let anyone you don't know into the Ranch. And if you see Sakura again, let us know immediately."

Malon felt torn. On one hand, Link had more experience looping than her. On the other, Sakura's words would not leave her, "I don't think Sakura's going to cause trouble. She promised after all."

Link scoffed, "Sakura would only follow the exact words of any agreement she gave. She won't cause trouble...no of course she wouldn't...herself. Her machinations will cause trouble...or she'll trick us into starting the trouble. Just be careful."

He turned to leave, "I need to let the guild know of this development."

* * *

><p>The girl Malon had interested Sakura, greatly. In a way, she reminded her of herself just as the loops were starting...though much more sane by comparison. If she could thank her teammates for anything, it was the counseling she was given over a hundred loops that solved quite a few of her problems, though most of her therapists did go insane, they just reset in the end anyway.<p>

It was that last shrink that gave her purpose, a 'positive' coping method of expanding human knowledge, to see the boundaries of science expanded. The loops held infinite possibilities even as they continued expanding to encompass more and more loops. And now, she hoped to help this new Looper cope with hers.

Her looping experiences served her well as she accurately predicted the Thieves would have a tracker follow Link and Malon, and they would inflict some form of revenge on Link in one way or another. This tracker was a natural at erasing his presence and following Malon and Link. Given some time to hone his abilities, he might have made Jounin one day in the Elemental Nations. Against regular adventurers or new loopers, it might even have been enough. But to Sakura, he might as well have been a child playing ninja on the playground with other academy hopefuls. As he made to leave the area, a pink blur enveloped him as he slammed against the tree, a kunai embedded against his neck in a way to apply pressure but not injure.

Her mouth had a simple grin, but her eyes held no mercy, "Let's talk, shall we?"

Interrogation was hardly her strong point. No, she left that to Sasuke when Awake. But she did have a healthy supply of veritaserum on hand and was dying to use it. A few drops forced down his throat, and he started singing like a bird. The Thieves were gathering even now on the edge of town, planning to hide in the woods around the ranch and kidnap Malon. Sakura envisioned those thieves and knew they would do terrible things to her given the chance. The captive tracker was to meet with them at the gate and lead them to the Malon's ranch.

Perhaps it would be best if they disappeared. After all, she could always use more test subjects in her subspace pocket. With that decided and a shadow clone departing under the disguise of the assassin, her eyes darted between the farm and her captive, a new branch of her plan forming.

* * *

><p>10.2 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke and looked around. He was on the very top of a floating island, with blue sky all around him. His name was Geezer, and like the other villagers on this island, he was a white blobby... person... thing. He was waiting for another villager named Gomez to wake up and climb to the top of the island, where a square pedestal sat surrounded by green grass. He was probably the Anchor, Link decided. Link dug a little deeper into his memories, and his eyes widened.<p>

Apparently, the villagers here had no sense of a third dimension.

Link looked around at the most definitely 3-D world around him.

...huh?

Forget waiting for Gomez, Link thought. I'm going to see what's up with this Loop.

* * *

><p>As Link walked through the door back to the village, arms full of several yellow and blue cubes, a villager emerged from a doorway. After yawning, it pulled out a red cubical fez from nowhere, put it on its head, and looked around. After a second, it spotted Link and his curious cargo.<p>

"Are... are those cubes?" the villager, who Link recognized as Gomez, asked.

Link looked down at the contents of his arms and nodded.

"All 64 of them?!"

Link nodded.

"...you got them all before I woke up?!"

Link shrugged. "I've seen harder puzzles."

"Even the artifacts?!"

Link nodded.

"You... even got the anti-cubes?!"

Link nodded at his pile of cubes, around half of which were blue.

"All 32?!"

"The one with the bell was actually pretty fun to solve."

"But... the clock cubes take a week before they appear... And Zuish... and... but... they're hidden until you turn... Wha... How did you... ...Hexahedron... "

As Gomez stared at Link with a look of utter confusion, Link decided he'd mention the Lens of Truth later.

* * *

><p>10.3 - (Leviticus Wilkes)<p>

* * *

><p>Sometimes, you just knew that you were in for a really, really bad loop. Sure sometimes that realization came too little too late, but every so often, Link's impressively well developed sense of danger informed him of such facts. Other times though, it was the world around him that managed to inform him of it's general level of suck.<p>

This loop had the distinction of filling both categories within a matter of seconds. Yes, Link was in for a hard loop.

Link Awoke in an alley, smaller than usual and clothed in a few ragged coats and moth eaten pants. Neither really did much to disguise the fact he felt as though he had been sleeping in dank alleys for most of his life, but they certainly helped keep him warm. Above him, the sun had already sunk low in the west, forcing the city walls to cast long shadows, while a cool breeze swept through the street, indicating twilight was almost upon them.

Link got to his feet and took stock of his body. Small, with short arms and legs, and an oversized head in comparison. All were indicators of youth, and thus he guessed his age to be about twelve. Link then turned his scrutiny outwards, scanning the cobbled street, checking the area against his own encyclopedic knowledge of technological eras.

'Large houses, crammed close together, with only a handful of unlit torches the would provide illumination at night...

...Wait, walls?'

It was then that Link's Loop memories kicked in, as he stared in gob-smacked awe of what his mind told him where 50 meter tall stone walls, constructs so enormous that until his Awakening in the loop, he had revered them as gifts from god, if not gods themselves.

'Those things are huge... And they surround an entire NATION!'

Link continued to stare at the impressive feat of human engineering, utterly amazed at the constructs before him, so completely engorged by the shocked and entrancing wonder that the enormous wall, absolutely lost in awe of what his memories deemed Wall Rose...

...that he completely missed the twelve year old blonde being beaten up by three guys not twenty paces to the left him.

Of course, when said blonde cried out in pain from a particularly vicious right hook to the jaw, Link had enough sense to turn and see that someone was being beaten up in a rather one-sided three on one fight. Thus, Link took the necessary actions.

Namely, he got a running start and kneed the guy who was holding the blonde in the face, leaving a sickening crack as he broke the bullies nose and knocking the bully off the blonde and onto the cobblestone street.

Link didn't really do what he did next in any particular way, certainly not in any manner that would require or suggest an adjective to be present to describe the action; he just stepped between the bullies and the blonde, intent to stop them from hurting the kid.

"Hey, wants the big deal bozo?" The lead bully growled from on the street. "Get out of our way so we can teach that little heretic a lesson."

Link rolled his eyes and slipped into a fighting stance. Three kids versus the Hero of Hyrule with hundreds of years of experience? Get real, they were going down.

"STOP THAT!"

Link, the blonde, and the bullies all turned in the direction of the horse, youthful shout. Running down the road were two more kids. "WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

The bullies lined up all grins and muscle, looking like a ludicrous impression of a phalanx. "It's Eren. This time around, he's out for our blood, the little prick," one of the bullies said. Another was more observant however.

"He's got Mikasa with him! WE'RE SCREWED!"

And just like that, the bullies ran like cowards, leaving Link and the blonde to wonder what was happening. The boy, Eren, stopped and smirked, red faced and huffing. "Ohh...look at them...the mere sight of me and they scurry like rats." Eren sucked in another breath to satiate his burning lungs.

"N-not quite," the blonde said, actually quite surprising Link with his voice. He had thought... But the blond continued. "They ran away when they saw Mikasa, more like... ow."

Link stepped back as Eren and the asian girl, Mikasa crowded in on their friend. "Hey, you okay Armin?" Eren stuck out his hand, but Armin, instead of taking it... teared up. Armin struggled up, leaning heavily on buildings wall.

"I don't need help to stand..." Armin got up and looked at Link. "Thanks...?"

Link just shrugged. "You're welcome."

Eren glanced from Armin to Link and coughed into his hand. "Maybe we should get out of here..."

* * *

><p>"...and then I told them that humanity would need to go outside one day. That's when they started hitting me." Armin, Eren, Mikasa and Link sat forlornly by the long river that ran through the town of Shiganshina, brooding. Link checked the story against his Loop memories, and growled angrily and with shame at himself. His memories told him he had been an orphan, a street urchin, for his entire memorable life, quietly raising himself and living off of scraps he could find and, when that was too hard for him, from charity at the local Wallist church.<p>

His feelings stemmed not solely from Armin's little speech about how he'd been beaten, but also from his memories telling him that, had he not woken up literally a minute before Eren and Mikasa arrived, he probably would've joined in the bullies beating. Suffice to say, his pre-awake self had been a bit of a jerk.

"Thank you, for helping me."

Link jolted out of his introspection. The three kids were all looking at him, various degrees of gratitude and confusion etched in their faces. "We never did ask you name..." Armin prompted.

Link shrugged. "Link."

Eren raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you help Armin, Link?"

Link mirrored the look. The three kids were all looking at him as if anyone showing genuine kindness or empathy to a complete stranger was well out of the norm. Of course, his loop memories quickly collaborated to remind him that it _was_. More evidently though, his memories told him that Armin was being heretical, suggesting that humanity leave the safety of the walls and venture out into 'their' territory.

It was then that Link remembered another fact about the walls. They were basically living through a zombie apocalypse, albeit, one where the zombies were three to fifteen meter tall monstrosities that weren't rotting and didn't come from a virus affecting humans.

"Hey, Link?"

Link jolted out of his thoughts again at Eren's voice. "Eh?"

Eren minutely glared at him. "Why. Did you. Help Armin?" Now Mikasa and Armin were fidgeting in apprehension.

Link shrugged. "I'm a nice guy. That's about it. Do I need a reason?"

The three ten year olds collectively blinked. Link rolled his eyes, laid back on the grassy riverbank, and decided to let his companions figure things out. Eren took Link's prompt and got into an argument with his sister, which lasted up until Armin spoke, "The wall may not have broken in one hundred years, but that's no guarantee that it won't happen today, and still..."

Link opened an eye and sat up, both actions done to more effectively glare at Armin. "Armin?"

The blond flinched at the strength of the glare, resulting in Eren and Mikasa glaring at Link. Eren spoke hesitantly, "Yes?"

Link leaned in. "You do know you've just doomed us all, right?"

*BOOM*

The ground shook and bucked for a moment, almost as if some great force had appeared to rend the very fabric of the peaceful life the walls tenuously held. The four children stood up.

"What was..."

There, rising from a cloud of steam just beyond wall Rose, was a Titan. A monstrosity so huge that it just surpassed the Wall's height of fifty meters. It dwarfed the humans cowering in it's sight. With an almighty shift of it's leg, the skinless, colossal monster readied itself, and then loosed a kick that effortlessly destroyed one hundred years of peace.

And a big chunk of the wall as well.

'Yup, this loop is gonna suck,' Link thought.

* * *

><p>10.4 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stepped out of the temple of time to find a world much less apocalyptic than he expected.<p>

Instead of a decrepit Castle town, he found a bustling launchpad, with a giant red tower looming in the distance. Link stared for a moment before focusing his attention on the figure in front of him.

"G.G. Cuccoo launching in T-minus-60." announced Ganondorf, his usual organ replaced with a control panel filled with sliders and buttons, at least 5 of which were large and red.

"What. Did you do. To Castle Town."

Ganondorf gave a low chuckle. "You are going to find this... interesting."

He turned to face Link. "As I'm SURE you well know " - Link's expression hardened - "Cuccoos can summon infinite swarms. So if someone were to say, train a Cuccoo to flock on command..."

Ganondorf gave a low smile.

"Then they could, say, eject that flock at high speed. And use that power for other things. And in addition to actually effective leadership, and the great supply of Cuccoos Hyrule is blessed with, and a legal grant from a certain princess..."

Ganondorf pointed to the rocket, which gave a burst of smoke and began rising into the air, emitting something white.

"Hyrule now has the power to launch cuccoo-powered rockets."

* * *

><p>10.5 - (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>A very shell-shocked Link stumbled into Castle Town, having to resort to hanging onto a fence to keep from falling until he could reach a bench in the marketplace, collapsing down on it and pulling out a bottle of something a bit stronger that the suspiciously alcoholic milk he enjoyed from time to time, though his hands were trembling so hard, it took him a good four tries to open it.<p>

After a minute, Zelda sat down next to him, in her usual disguise for going out in public. "Rough loop?"

Link swallowed and re-stoppered his now half-empty bottle. "I'm swearing off time travel outside Hyrule. Never again. It does weird things to clocks. No, from now on, only in Hyrule, where it's safe!"

Zelda tilted her head in puzzlement. "Clocks? I'm not sure I understand."

Link looked up at her, with dark, sunken eyes haunted by knowledge best left unknown. "I won't go into detail. You don't deserve that. Nobody does. But... Zelda, they have cucco clocks out there!"

* * *

><p>10.6 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared at the golden wolf in front of him, which had a ... derpier-then-normal face.<p>

"Sometimes enemy. Much pointy. Such helmet. Then, much helmsplitter. Such jump and much sword. Very helmsplitter. Such helmet gone.

How helmsplitter? Much simple. First such shield bash. Very Nunchuck. Then much A."

Link continued staring at the wolf, very confused.

"Such teach Ghost Doge. Now very try!"

* * *

><p>10.7<p>

* * *

><p>Link sat up and stretched. Another day, another Loop. And he was back in Kokiri village this time.<p>

He smiled. He really treasured the memories of his childhood here. He quickly checked the Triforce and sent out a ping at the same time. After a couple minutes, he didn't receive any response. Solo Loop it was. He was looking forward to testing out his newest blade and seeing how it compared to the Master Sword and...where was Navi?

Link glanced around. He usually didn't arrive too much earlier than the point where the Deku Tree was attacked. Maybe...

Link hopped out of bed and quickly made his way out of his house. If he was early this time, he might be able to head of Ganondorf's attack on the Tree completely.

* * *

><p>Link raced down the path towards the Tree. After all these Loops, it was pretty simple to slip past Mido, with or without a sword and shield. This time, he had opted to Wind Waker up a breeze, and sail over using the Sailcloth. Mido has just stared in shock, before jumping up to catch him, but a quickly chewed Pegasus Seed let him speed away. Mentally, Link went through his inventory.<p>

'Maybe I can rig up a Light Arrow Launcher? Link up a couple with overlapping fields of fire in front of the Deku Tree? No Cuccos, that's for sure.' Link shuddered. Malon had forced him to 'disarm' his Cucco Bombs a few Loops ago, and he hadn't chanced fate yet by trying to build up a new stockpile. Link made the final turn into the Deku Tree's Meadow, and froze.

Link wasn't early. In fact, Link would say he was very, very late. The field was trashed. Long lines of grass were torn up all around the meadow, and several of the smaller trees at the edges were snapped clear in two. As for the Deku Tree itself, it was already the ashen shade that marked it as being dead. The tree was on its side, several of its massive roots piercing through the soul, and massive gashes of bark were ripped loose, scattered about the ground. Link stumbled forward slightly, stunned at the sight. 'How did we not hear anything?'

"-i-ink"

A faint voice echoed from a nearby root. Link twisted, moving closer, searching for the source of the voice. A faint light glimmered at the base of the upturned root, and Link realized it was a fairy. Not just any fairy.

"Li-Lin-k"

Navi lay in a small heap at the base of the root. Her glow was flickering, revealing her tiny, feminine form. Her wings were damaged, one partially torn and the other crumpled.

"I-I'm so-ory, Link. I-I tried to-to stop him. I cal-led fo-or you. Ganon is-s back. He-he chopped down the De-eku Tre-ee..." Link dropped to his knees by Navi. She'd called for him? She shouldn't even... The answer hit him, obvious now that he thought it. Navi was Looping. She was Looping, and she had seen Ganondorf, and tried to stop him from attacking the Deku Tree. She had called for Link's help. Link closed his eyes. How long had it been since he had listened to Navi's voice? A hundred Loops? A thousand? It used to be, when he was first starting out, Navi could call to him across vast distances, much farther than her voice should be able to carry over. Now, though...

Tenderly, Link scooped Navi up into his hands, and called on the healing magics he knew of. A mixture of divine magic and healing chakra filled his palms. Navi's wings straightened and healed, her glow returned, and intensified, until she appeared to be nothing more than an orb of light, glowing in Link's palms.

"How? How did you do that, Link?"

Link smiled. "It's kind of a long story. Basically, time is Looping a lot more than the little trip we took to the future and back. We're back at the beginning of the journey."

"But, the Deku Tree...it...he..."

Link glanced up and around the clearing, before spotting what he was looking for. He carried Navi over to a spot off to the side of the fallen tree. A fairly large seed lay on the ground. Link pulled out an Ocarina from his subspace pocket, and quickly played the Frog's Song of Soul. Unlike what happened in Koholint Island, where the Rooster revived from his corpse, the song had a different effect on the fallen Deku Tree. The large fallen form of the tree quickly crumbled away, while the seed in front of them sprouted, and quickly began to grow. Link hopped back, finishing the song, as the tree sprouted into a tall sapling. The sapling opened its eyes, coughing a couple of times, before focusing on Link.

"Hello! I'm the new Deku Tree. Huh, I'm a bit taller than I expected to be." Link had learned that the new Deku Tree had most of the memories of the old one, and, more importantly...

"Do you have the Kokiri's Emerald? We need it to stop Ganon's evil plans." Every Deku Tree could call on the Kokiri's Emerald from where it was hidden away.

The Deku Tree shook sadly. "No, Ganon has claimed it. You must find a way to retrieve it."

Link nodded. If worst came to worst, he could gimmick the Kokiri's Emerald he kept in his Pocket to work in breaking the seal. The fit was usually close enough to work.

Navi took off from his hands and circled around his head. "Link! I don't understand what is going on. How did we end up back here? Didn't we win?"

Link grinned. "Don't worry. We'll beat Ganon. I have plenty of tricks that can work. Heh, now it's my turn to teach you."

Link could just imagine the scowl on Navi's face from the way she flit around angrily.

* * *

><p>10.8 - (Stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>It had taken the free time of a few dozen loops, and required several fused loops to get the parts and equipment necessary. But it was finally time to unveil Link's project.<p>

Zelda had her self-breeding project, and Ganon spent time tutoring the rare looping antagonist whenever he could find one. Link, however, had focused on this ever sense he saw Mario and Bowser competing so strongly, yet without bloodshed.

Now everything was ready, and they were in Hyrule with the whole gang awake this loop; it was time to unveil his creation.

"You had best have a good reason for getting us together, Link," Gannon growled. "I was at an important stage of research in cucoo weaponization, I think you will find it… vexing… once I complete it."

Malon glared at the man, pulling a Light-arrow out of her subspace pocket and starting to jab it into him. "No more cucoo research! Did we or did we not all sign the Kakariko Accords?"

"Ow! Stop that at- Ow! Once! Wench!"

Link rolled his eyes; they all ignored the Accords when it suited them. "Hey, cut it out, both of you. We're here to test out my project! I give you- Zelda Cart Racing!" With that, he whipped the sheet off of the go-kart next to him.

There was silence from the others.

Zelda was the first to speak. "This was your big project? Couldn't we go horse racing instead?"

"I love Epona, but this is not the same thing guys. And I didn't just bring go-karts, I brought mushrooms, star-men, grabbed a bunch of banana skins from Donkey Kong… Oh, and two words… Blue Cucoo…"

Impa snorted. "And where will we race? Hyrule is rather lacking in transport infrastructure."

Link smirked. "It was until I paid the Gorons to lay out several tracks around the country side. They literally work for rocks, you know. They go nuts for exotic geology- they mostly eat metamorphic rocks around Death Mountain."

Ganon smiled, a chilling sight, even for those used to his new demeanor. "Then let me be the first one to challenge you Link, in the Hyrule Cup Prix!"

Link grinned back. It was all worth it- he was go-karting with Gannondorf!

* * *

><p>10.8 cont. - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh, and before we start, teleporting your kart is cheating."<p>

Ganondorf and Zelda frowned simultaneously.

* * *

><p>"...I'm pretty sure that making a ramp out of Moblins is also cheating."<p>

"There were no rules against it."

Malon scowled at Ganondorf. "So does that make it okay if I use a few hundred Cuccos?"

* * *

><p>"Was Death Mountain supposed to erupt mid-race?"<p>

"No, but you have to admit it made this race much more fun."

Link surveyed the smoldering, boulder-stricken ruins of the track.

"Although it's probably going to need a bit of renovation before we use it again."

* * *

><p>Saria walked into the Lost Woods and gasped. Two of the four large tree trunks had been replaced with rubble, and the once-pristine grass was charred in several places. Most of the trees had several strips of missing bark, and in the corner a small fire smoldered. 'What monster could have caused this?' Saria thought, her eyes widening.<p>

An explosion sounded nearby, and Saria whirled around.

And nearly got ran over by something green moving at very high speed.

"Wha-!"

Several more colored blurs sped around the bend, leaving trails of dust in their wake. Saria instinctively froze, then ducked to avoid a ferocious-looking blue cucco, throwing her arms over her head. When she reopened her eyes a second later, the clearing was empty once more save for a large banana peel that definitely was not there before.

A few minutes later, a shell-shocked Saria stumbled into her house and refused to come out for the rest of the morning.

* * *

><p>Impa suddenly swerved to the right and shot off a bomb arrow at Zelda, forcing her kart off the track and, with a splash, into Lake Hylia.<p>

"Navi?" Zelda asked the fairy flying over to her kart.

"Hey! I'm coming! You don't have to pester me..." Navi panted. "You guys are brutal to each other."

Navi grabbed the hood of the car. Her wings beat furiously, hauling the car up into the air. No matter how many times she fell, Zelda still found it slightly amusing to watch a tiny ball of wings carry a several hundred pound kart into the air.

When the kart was above the track, Navi let go and watched it drop to the ground and zoom off. "Thanks!" yelled Zelda behind her, already trying to catch up.

Navi sighed and stretched her aching wings before zooming off to another downed racer. 'How does that "Lakitu" guy DO all this lifting anyway?'

* * *

><p>10.9 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link grabbed the last rung of the ladder, and with a final heave, pushed himself up to the top of Tingle Island's tower. "Hey, Tingle!"<p>

"Ooooh!" said Tingle. "Mr. Fairy! Welcome! Welcome!"

Tingle paused for a second before sniffing the air in Link's direction.

"You don't have a chart this time, sir? Have you come... to play?!"

Link walked over to Tingle, a smile on his face. Someone who knew Link much better would have recognized that smile as a something-very-unusual-was-about-to-happen smile, but Tingle was not one of those people.

"...Yes. I even brought you something to play with!"

Link produced a metal ball the size of a Cuccoo, with several holes drilled into it on all sides, and offered it to Tingle. Tingle took the ball and examined it.

"Sir... this doesn't look like a toy..."

Then the 'toy' began firing dark green spheres.

"AAH!" Tingle tried to drop the ball, but found that he couldn't, because he was 3 feet to the right of where he was. And then he was in the ocean. Then he was on top of Tingle Tower. Then floating in midair- and then falling.

Ankle and Knuckle stopped their turning to look at the source of the noise, and were rather shocked to see their brother materialize in midair, then disappear in a cloud of purple smoke. As Tingle continued teleporting randomly, Link leaned over the railing to stare at his creation.

'Ender Pearls are awesome.'Link thought. 'I wonder what else I can test while I'm here.'

* * *

><p>Tingle heaved himself out of the water and flopped onto the sand. "Mr fairy... that... was very naughty..." he groaned.<p>

He looked up, face full of sand, to find Link standing in front of him with a cocked bow in his hands.

"Mr. Fairy!" Tingle tried to yell, but it came out as a whimper.

Link let go of the string.

Tingle may have been immature, but he knew when someone was trying to kill him. As the arrow sped towards his face, Tingle closed his eyes. Now, he would never find the fairies and learn their songs, their dances, and see their world. There was a Tingle-filled gap in their culture that would never be placated now.

And it was all because of that mean boy! He looked like a fairy! Well, now he was being MEAN! Fairies were NEVER mean! To think Tingle trusted him, and was even willing to decipher any charts he had! He wasn't a fairy. He was EVIL.

...Shouldn't he have felt a booboo already?

Tingle opened his eyes.

And then the ground beneath him gave way into a sinkhole of blue, sending Tingle down into the ground... and then the blue turned into orange, and Tingle felt himself fly into the air, do a midair flip, and land on his feet.

Tingle stumbled forwards for a second before blinking and doing a double take. He was... back on the deck of Tingle Tower?

"Thanks for deciphering my chart, Tingle! You're the best!" Link said cheerily, waving as he disappeared over the edge of the ladder.

"...what?" Tingle got out, barely managing to stand.

* * *

><p>'Great! I got to prank Tingle, AND test out the Ender Ball and Portal Arrows!' Link thought, flicking the ignition switch to the King of Red Lions' newly-installed rocket engine. 'I wonder how he'd react to Zelda Kart.'<p>

* * *

><p>10.10 - (Stonebrow) *Edited by LordCirce for completion*<p>

* * *

><p>Link saw it through the window. It was shiny, and called to him. It called to his soul.<p>

Link entered the store. "How much for the guitar, the one in the window?"

"Hello! You're in luck, it's on sale, $200."

"Hm, would you take this ruby the size of my fist?"

"Er, where did you get this?"

"Hylia!"

"Never heard of the place."

"It's in Africa."

"Oh, that would explain the ruby then. Sure, she's yours. I'll throw in the accessories. You know how to play?"

"Not exactly, but I'm musically inclined."

"Well, OK. Here, take this beginner's guide. Come again!"

"Thanks, I will!"

* * *

><p>- Back in Hyrule -<p>

"Alright. Strum up, strum down, strum up, strum down."

*Breng! Brank! Brunk!*

"This is harder than an ocarina..." Link complained to himself. But it looked so cool! And he just knew he could use it to teleport to other places than temples if he could get this down.

"Maybe I should use that instruction booklet after all."

* * *

><p>"Ok, so that's a C cord..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Smoke, over wa-ter..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello, I'm Link, and I'll be your entertainment for tonight! I've got some classic folk songs sped up so you can dance to them, and if you have any requests, I'll do my best."<p>

The patrons of the milk bar looked up briefly. One man clapped once, then sipped his drink again.

Ganondorf smirked from the back. "Free Bird!"

Link jumped up, snarling. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

* * *

><p>10.11 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, he walked through the left door<strong> announced the mysterious British voice following Link, as he walked through a door. This loop was a bit weird. Link was in an office trying to find out where his co-workers had all mysteriously vanished to, and this voice kept narrating whatever he did.

**But that's what Stanley would do. You don't seem to be in much of a hurry at all**.

Link looked upwards, eyebrows raised. Was the voice loop-aware? He tried to spot a trace of whoever was speaking through the ceiling, but all he saw was a ceiling.

**It's a shame, too. I had a perfectly-crafted story, all ready for Stanley, and now you show up and take his place. Hm. Can I tell you a story, not-Stanley?** asked the voice.

Link paused for a moment, then nodded.

**Once upon a time, there was a tree.** the voice began narrating. **It was a perfectly normal tree, except that it held worlds in it. It started off with only a few branches. It was a bit odd, carrying all of those worlds, but it managed, and it grew.**

The narrator paused.

**Then, somebody introduced a pony to the tree. The tree liked the pony, and grew a nice and big branch for the pony. But the pony brought so many friends that the tree had to grow even further. The tree grew so much, in fact, that it made space for everybody on the planet. Even if a few of its branches were invisible, and wouldn't be noticed, there was a branch for it.**

The narrator sighed.

**Then, the tree decided that it wanted to grow further. And one its gardeners decided it would be a great idea to invite Stanley. And the tree grew a branch for Stanley, and for all of his friends, and invited Stanley inside. But of course, there was a problem: Stanley couldn't fit into the tree.**

**Because the tree was in my story.**

Link resisted the urge to facepalm as the voice chuckled. **But don't take that too seriously. After all, it's just a story. So. What did you think of my story, not-Stanley?**

Link rolled his eyes. "If that was supposed to be Yggdrasil, that's completely inaccurate."

**Oh, yes, yes, I know. Anyway, the story I had ready was for Stanley, and you're most definitely not him. Do whatever you want with the office, I guess. Oh, and good luck with your time loops. Now that's a good story.**

* * *

><p>"So what's a normal loop like for you?"<p>

**Oh, you know. I have the story set up for Stanley, but he derails it to try and get more achievements.**

"...what?"

* * *

><p>10.12 - (kalimaru)<p>

* * *

><p>Link looked down at the ball he'd just been given. "What is this supposed to be?"<p>

The Great Fairy laughed. "It's Din's Fire!"

"No, Din's Fire is an red eight-sided gem with a sphere at the center. This is a metal ball with the symbol for radiation on the side and a button on top." Link looked up at the Great Fairy. "So what is this?"

"Well, why don't you press the button and find out?" With that, the Great Fairy shrank back into the Fairy Pond and left Link feeling more than a little put off.

* * *

><p>Having retreated to Lake Hylia, the Great Fairy joined her colleagues. All of them were wearing large white lab coats and glasses. As one, they turned to watch the sky and wait for the fruits of their labors.<p>

"So why was that ball made?"

One of the fairies shrugged but kept watching the sky. "We thought that magic would be too silly to give to a hero."

"And it wasn't tested first?"

Another fairy spoke up. "We figured that the hero could handle it."

"Ah. Well consider this the test then." Slamming down the ball, Link whipped out his ocarina and warped to the Spirit Temple. Turning, he watched as the mushroom cloud formed over the now ex-lake. "Well it did make a lot of noise and burn up the lake, so I guess it makes sense that they would confuse the two."

* * *

><p>10.13 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link walked out of Termina's Clock tower and, without bothering to wait for Tatl, set off for Termina's resident banker. This loop, he was planning to buy out the Marine Research Laboratory and renovate it to be the venue for a few hundred a capella squid quartets. Last time he had tried setting that up, Ganondorf was looping in as Skull Kid, and he had rattled the ugly scientist who worked there just a bit too much. As Link walked up the steps to the Banker's mat, he was glad that nobody else was looping this go-around.<p>

"I'd like to withdraw 5,000 Rupees." Link asked the banker, like he had so many times already.

The banker stared back at Link and laughed. "Ha! Well, little guy, you can sure dream! Maybe if you save your allowance you can buy something for the party-"

He paused to stare at Link's outstretched arm. He stayed silent for a few moments, trying to process the immense balance he saw.

"Thanks!" Link waved, tucking the rupees he had teleported from the banker's vault into his subspace pocket and setting off from the shell-shocked banker. Then all of what the banker said registered.

'Party?!' Link's eyes widened.

...Oh no.

Termina's clock tower bonged once, and in an instant the town changed. Banners appeared on walls, confetti fireworks exploded overhead, the clock tower noisily unrolled several party streamers, and a pink blur flew past an annoyed Link, now sporting a conic party hat on top of his normal green one.

Link sighed and spoke up. "I had plans this loop."

The pink blur screeched to a halt in front of him, kicking up way more dust than most people would think possible from a gasping pink fairy. "You made plans to not attend a Pinkie Pie Party?! You need to lighten UP big time, mister greenie hero!"

Link blocked a thrown cupcake with his shield. "How long is this party going to go on? Because in case you hadn't noticed, the moon's falling in 3 days." He pointed upwards at the large angry face in the sky- now sporting rainbow face paint and a moon-sized party hat.

"Yepperoonie! It's going to be the BEST moon-falling party EVER!" The overexcited fairy replied, then zoomed off with an "Ooh!".

'...So much for no other loopers.' Link thought, grabbing his confetti-covered party hat off of his head. After a second he shuddered, then quickly thrust his ocarina in his subspace pocket. 'Oh Farore, I hope she NEVER finds out about the Song of Time.'

* * *

><p>10.14 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>But as Stanley came to his wits and regained his senses, he got up and walked out into the hallway.<strong>

Link thought otherwise. The last time he had been in a loop like this, he had the mysterious narrating voice tell him a story. He seemed to particularly care about the story, and even mentioned creating a story for 'Stanley', who he was taking the place of in this loop. Link wanted to see what would happen if he completely disregarded that. So for the sake of science, instead of walking out the door, Link walked over to the office room's window and peered through it, while doing one of the few things he did best: saying absolutely nothing.

**Stanley stepped in front of the window to admire the view, but all he could see was pure white, so he turned around and got back on track.**

Link continued standing.

**There was nothing there. No choice to make, no path to follow. Just a window filled with light. Stanley knew this perfectly well, yet he continued to stand there, driven by some outside force.**

Link continued standing.

**Perhaps Stanley would have been justified in doing this, had there been something to the window. If there was something to interact with, then Stanley's actions would have made perfect sense. But as it stood, Stanley was just standing in front of a perfectly ordinary window.**

Link continued standing in the same place.

**Stanley was literally just standing there. He's not even doing anything. Perhaps Stanley was suffering from a medical condition that made it impossible to follow the story. Perhaps Stanley was actually a horse, and could sleep standing up. That would make an interesting story. But back to the point. Stanley seemed to be suffering from an acute disease called idiocy.**

...

**All Stanley had to do to resume the story, was to turn around and walk down the hallway. Stanley was not very good at following directions, but surely this was simple enough for his diseased brain to follow.**

...

**Perhaps Stanley wasn't injured at all. Perhaps Stanley had a large ego, and wanted to show that he was superior to the story. This would have made no sense, and Stanley knew it. This story was perfectly rational, if only Stanley would get back on track. **

Link continued standing, holding back the urge to smile. This was surprisingly entertaining.

**Stanley couldn't have been dead, since he had just smiled, yet his legs refused to move. Stanley may have possibly had a stroke, or another of those physical aliments that tend to handicap your species. Maybe next time, Stanley can substitute a more capable species. One that can actually follow directions, like "Move away from the window."**

Link wondered what would happen if Ganondorf looped into this, and concluded that he would probably have punched out the window and completely derailed all point to the story.

**Stanley. Stanley. Stanley. There's no point to all this nonsense. You won't get achievements for this sort of behavior. The only thing standing in front the story's progress is you, Stanley. You're the handicap here. Not me. If nothing's wrong with you, is something wrong with me, Stanley?**

Link stood perfectly still.

**Is it my narration? Because it's perfectly good narration. It can't possibly be that. Hmm... Perhaps it's a problem of my tone?**

...

**Perhaps it simply failed to transfer itself over mediums. You have to admit, Stanley, that my voice is a very good voice. Is it the tone failing to convey itself? Let me try again.**

**Stanley walked away from the window, and continued down the hallway.**

...

**Stanley?**

...

**Can you offer me some explanation here, Stanley, I'm genuinely confused. This window is of absolutely no importance to the story. What. So. Ever. I can understand if you wanted to hear about the broom closet ending, and you decided it would be a good idea to stay there and listen. But this is completely irrelevant to everything the story is about, and you know it.**

...

**Oh, I give up, Stanley. You win.**

**Congratulations! **

**You win!**

...

**Are you happy now, Stanley? Now that you've had your indulgence of silly pastimes, can we continue with the story? Just pull back from the window, and walk through the hallway.**

Link stood perfectly still.

**Well, I don't know what's going on with you, Stanley. I don't know what's come over you. I sincerely regret letting you take part in my story, Stanley, if you're going to stand around all day doing nothing. Did you know that?**

...

**Stanley decided staring at a window was absurd, and deliberately walked away from the window and into the hallway to find his co-workers.**

...

**Stanley?**

...

**Well, I've come to a conclusion, Stanley. Since I'm most definitely not keeping you there, somebody else is running the story. I'm not sure why this keeps happening, Stanley. It's already happened... hmm, four times now. Anyway, since you refuse to budge, I'm going to go ahead and say it's their fault. There's nothing I can do until they make you pick up the story. It's going to be quite boring unless they can add some interesting flavour to it. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do.**

...

**Of course, they won't get very far in the story, with how cooperative you're being.**

...

**Stanley?**

...

**Oh, this is hopeless. Good luck with Stanley, other narrator. I'm done with this story.**

After a minute of silence to see if he was actually gone, a wide smile broke out on Link's face.

* * *

><p>10.15 - (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link climbed up the now-familiar ladder to Tingle Tower, and stepped up to the deck. Normally, Link wouldn't come here unless he needed a chart deciphered, a test subject, or a drowning lockpick to save like that weird loop he'd had where that was Hyrule's currency. This visit to Tingle was for a different reason: curiosity.<p>

As Link walked over to Tingle, Tingle's head popped up too late to notice Link casually slip Ankle and Knuckle spare Power Bracelets. Nevertheless, Tingle was delighted to see him. "Ohh, Mr. Fairy! Hello! Have you come to play?!"

Link shook his head. "I was wondering, Tingle, why do you dress like that? Are your clothes supposed to be a fairy?"

Tingle's smile deflated slightly.

"Oh, that's a secret, Mr. Fairy. Can you keep a secret? Can you tell nobody?"

Like every looper, Link was extremely good at lying through his teeth. Link nodded.

Tingle leaned in so close to Link's face he could smell Tingle's breath. Tingle's eyes narrowed, and Link could almost feel the area around them darken.

"I'm a hired assassin for the Princess. " Tingle spoke in deep whisper, several octaves lower then his normal voice. "This costume conceals 27 different knives and two vials of poison in my hat, mister fairy. And my pants are dyed. With blood."

Link tried to take a step back, but Tingle grabbed his shirt and looked at Link with a serious expression.

"With blood."

Link tried to take another step back but Tingle's eyes went bloodshot.

"WITH BLOOOOOOOOOOD!" he yelled, looking directly at Link with an expression of pure hate that severely contrasted with his outfit. Link tensed and put one hand on the Master Sword, the other ready to cast a shield spell if need be. Preferably an explosive one.

Then, as suddenly as it had vanished, Tingle was back to his cheerful disposition. "And it refuses to come out when Tingle washes it." he smiled at Link. "Thanks for asking, Mr. Fairy!"

Link stood in place for a few seconds while his brain rebooted.

* * *

><p>10.16 - (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Link paused to stretch as he finished his trek to the Sword of the Goddess. He liked Skyloft, he really did, but the fact was that he just spent more loops down on the ground, and the thinner air up here tended to get him tired faster. He couldn't help but grin though, as he was about to be reunited with his most graceful partner. Nothing against the others, but Fi was just so useful, and though he would deny it if asked, he rather liked her dancing while interpreting the language of the goddess. He had no doubt that if she had a rapier of some sort, (well, and arms) she would be untouchable in a fight.<p>

Walking up to the pedestal, he drew the sword. "Well Fi, ready for another grand adventure?" he chuckled.

Fi's answer was not quite what he was expecting as she emerged from the sword and hovered before him. "Master, I am receiving conflicting conclusions as to the proper steps to suggest you take to ensure your immediate safety. I calculate fifty percent odds you should look behind you, and fifty percent odds you simply run." she calmly stated.

Link paused at that. Then his curiosity won out and he turned back to look.

There were two more pedestals behind him.

More importantly, there were two more swords.

Even more importantly, there were two beings each hovering over one of those swords.

The first folded her arms and scowled at him, wings beating rapidly in agitation as her usual soft blue glow changed to an angry red. "You have some nerve! I go out of my way to go above and beyond the call of duty to help you! I offer my nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the entire world and everything in it! I keep track of the to do list, and patiently tell you what the next step is, no matter HOW many times you forget and ask me again! And you repay me by slipping off to go adventuring with another partner?!"

_Oh crap, Navi was here!_

The other sword spirit growled, light glinting off her fang. "I break you out of prison, let you tag along on my mission, do you the honor of recruiting you as my personal servant, tell you the lost lore of my people, aid you with my magic, GIVE you some of my magic, save your life, let you into my HOME, let you FINISH my mission, and then grant you your freedom from my service with no strings attached, and you just up and replace me TWICE?!"

_Oh crap, Midna was here!_

**... Oh CRAP! Midna was Awake!**

"It's not as bad as you make it sound! I really did devote myself to finding you once we were separated, and it was only with the most reluctant of hearts that I oh crap you already know about Tatl and the King of Red Lions don't you?"

A pair of nods and angry glares answered him.

"Mommy..." he whimpered as he braced himself.

* * *

><p>Fi floated in the same location where she had started, next to her sword in one of the only remaining intact locations in the room. The pillars were fallen, the walls cracked, and the roof had a long crevice which shifted dangerously every so often.<p>

In front of Fi, Link stood, a pair of mirror shields strapped on his arms. He was breathing slightly heavily as he slowly he lowered his shields. Out in front of him, Navi and Midna both lay, panting and exhausted on the floor.

"Are you two finished?" He asked, still tense and ready to block more flying masonry or Navi's Koten Zanshun she picked up from a Bleach Loop.

Midna growled lowly, but didn't move from her position on the floor, while Navi fluttered weakly. Link sighed, then turned to stare at the fairy.

"I know I told you about my adventures, and those that accompanied me." The question 'what is the problem?' echoed unspoken.

Navi moaned, then sniffled slightly. "...you don't need me."

"Huh?" Link frowned at Navi's quavering voice.

"You don't need me! I've seen, Zelda, she showed me pictures, videos, of your fights. You've fought Ganondorf, Majora, Demise! Dark powers that I can't even imagine, and you did it without me!" Navi fluttered, rising up in the air. "What use is my knowledge? You know more about this world, and others, so many other worlds, than I do. You told me about your adventures, but seeing it..." Navi flutter to rest on her sword, which was skewed to a slight angle in its pedestal. "I'm useless."

Before Link could respond, Midna scoffed. "Feh. You sure are, if you're going to give up like that."

Navi glowed an angry red. "What?!"

Midna sat up, her hair stirring. "So what? Yeah, Boy-o has gotten stronger, but that just means that I'll need to work harder. I can't let my servant outshine my majesty. If you want to give up, fine. Less competition for me."

Link stepped forward before another fight could break out. "Navi, Midna. Yeah, it's true that I don't 'need' a partner as much. I'm not a wide-eyed kid or lazy farm boy anymore, and it would be an insult to both of you to pretend that I am. But! I do need friends. These Loops...they are lonely. Zelda, me, Ganondorf, we don't have it quite as bad as many Anchors, because we tend to show up together fairly often, but I still spend long times in lonely loops." Link grinned. "You both are unique, and knowing that there are more people out there sharing these experiences will help me, help us, tremendously."

For several moments, they were all silent. Then, with a faint chime, Fi floated forward. "This is all true. I welcome you both. I predict a 78% decrease in difficulty in keeping Link unharmed with your assistance."

"Hey!" Link frowned as Midna and Navi laughed. Fi then floated over to Navi.

"May I peruse the videos provided by Hylia's Reincarnation?"

Link raised his eyebrow. "Wouldn't you have more recordings yourself?"

Fi turned to look at him and nodded. "Yes. However, knowing the disposition of Zelda, I predict an 86% chance that embarassing videos would be included in such a compilation, and a 93% chance that they are of unknown nature to myself."

A chill ran over Link's spine as Navi giggled, pulling a thin PADD from her Pocket. Fi floated around to view it, and Midna flew over as well, grinning.

* * *

><p>10.1 - Sakura is...reasonable!?<p>

10.2 - When Link solves puzzles, he solves puzzles!

10.3 - And the walls come tumbling down.

10.4 - Houston, we have Bwak-off.

10.5 - Cucco clocks. Not to be mistaken with their nice safe cousins, cuckoo clocks.

10.6 - Memes have infected the Loops. Oh noez.

10.7 - Let's give Navi a big hand to welcome her to the Loops. No, no, don't swat her!

10.8 - For some reason, Shy Guy is still a racer in this version.

10.9 - Link + Toys = Odd Times for Tingle

10.10 - "This kind of music just soothes the soul. Now I'm gonna play the Frog's Song of Soul."

10.11 - The Zelda Parable (based on the Stanley Parable)

10.12 - Din's Fire, Tsar Bomba, Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to

10.13 - There is always time for a party. Always!

10.14 - **The brooding hero stares out the window, waiting for his dashing, red-haired Gerudo King to come and sweep him off his feet and...** "Gacck! OK, OK, I'll go through the door!"

10.15 - Tingle Tingle KILL YOU Limpah!

10.16 - Demise hath no fury like a companion spurned. Oh, and welcome to yet another Looper, Midna!


	11. Chapter 11

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: In Which Games are Referenced**

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Zelda. Or the Legend of Zelda franchise, for that matter. Nintendo does.

* * *

><p>11.1 (Kalimaru)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stepped up behind the bearded old man, the first person he'd seen since washing up on the island, and started speaking. "Hi, I'm Linkbrush Gre-" He then Woke and stopped talking as he digested what he was about to say. "Linkbrush Greenwood? Why does my last name have to be Greenwood?"<p>

The old man turned around. "I don't know. Why do you have to bug me with all of that blubberin'? I got a job to do here!"

Hoping that it would take away from his distaste for his name, Link questioned the man. "What's your job?"

The old man turned back to watch the horizon. "I'm the lookout for Melee Island. I'm watching for signs of the dreaded ghost pirate LeGanon."

"LeGanon?" Link guffawed. "That's almost as bad as having the last name Greenwood!"

"Eh, Greenwood's still worse." The old man shook his arms at Link. "Now go down to the SCUMM Bar or something. I'm busy here!"

* * *

><p>After some inquiry in the SCUMM Bar, hearing the obvious setup of a pirate-themed puzzle adventure, and pocketing nearly everything he could in town, Link made his way to the Governor's Mansion. Zelda was waiting on the lawn as he approached. "About time you showed up."<p>

"Don't mention it. So where are we, and what's with the pack of freaky poodles?" Link noted that for all their noise, the furry beasts weren't very good at pulling on their leashes.

"The poodles were there when I Woke up. As for where we are..." Pulling out a holodisk, Zelda started skimming through a number of images. "We're in the Universe the Monkey Island series is based on. Right now, we're in the baseline version of the first game of the series, The Secret of Monkey Island. My guess is that we'll be in this story all the way through to the fifth game, Tales of Monkey Island. As it stands, we're in a setting like Wind Waker except up to our knees in pirates and pirate related subjects. Also, don't drink the grog. Whatever it is, it is not beer."

"Whatever you say. Can I get a copy of the data from here though? I don't want anything too surprising."

"You won't need it. Just follow along with the general plot and think of zany answers to any puzzle you find. I don't want to spoil anything for you."

Link sighed. "Alright, but this better not come back to bite me."

* * *

><p>-SEVERAL GAMES WORTH OF ADVENTURES LATER-<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, she is definitely doing this to get me back for calling her Zora-Hyrule royal family linking plan 'dumber than a bucket of fish eggs'."<p>

* * *

><p>11.2 (burningclaw2)<p>

Fey Lord Link cont.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf was breathing hard, it had taken a while but he had managed to pummel Link's Giant Wolf form and break the control over Zelda. He was now fighting Link in his Fae Lord form now.<p>

'Damnit! Is this what Link has to go through every time he fights me!?' thought Ganondorf panting slightly, while he was annoyed he was still enjoying the challenge, 'While the fight has been fun it's also very tedious. Maybe I should think of ways to spice up our fights a bit more next Lo-Woah!' Ganondorf's train of thought was ended when he had to duck under the sudden hookshot that almost took out his eye.

'Note to self; next time I'm the hero, grab the damned weapons. It'd probably help save me from some of these tricks of his.' Ganondorf thought before rushing at Link with his sword readied to strike. Link met Ganondorf's sword strike with his own but was set flying back due to Ganondorf's overwhelming physical power in comparison to his own.

Link managed to keep himself from slamming into a wall by skidding to a halt. He quickly recovered and stood up, Ganondorf preparing himself for whatever the Fae Lord had plan.

Link then begun to speak in an archaic manner, "Thou art skilled, Gerudo. For not only hast thou endured Our trails but thou also hast endured Us for so long." As he said this, Ganondorf noticed Link beginning to pull something out of his robes. "Thus, in honor for thine skill and strength Gerudo, thou shalt face Us in in Our truest form."

'I don't know what he is planning, but it can't be good,' thought Ganondorf before he charged at Link intending to stop him from doing whatever it was he was planning, unfortunately Link was faster having slipped what looked like a mask on his face.

Once the mask was on Link's face he writhed in agony for a moment, shaking his head from side to side before letting loose a loud yell as a rush of energy overtook him. The energy then proceeded to rush outwards blasting Ganondorf back and into a wall.

"GAAAH!" screamed Ganondorf in frustration and slight pain getting up he quickly saw what had happened.

Link no longer looked like he did previously. Now he was wearing an armored tunic and leather boots. He now possessed pale skin and snow white hair, with red and blue marking over his face. On his back was a large Double Helix Sword.

**The Fierce Deity**

_Unrivaled God of Battle_

'Shit!' was Ganondorfs thought as The Fierce Deity drew his sword from his back in a slow methodical manner, until it was fully drawn and pointing to the ground. However, once the motion was complete a blast of wind launched forth and hammered against Ganondorf. While the blast did little more to him then nudge him back, that much power from such a lackluster motion meant that the Fierce Deity of Hyrule was certainly a monster amongst monsters.

Steeling himself, Ganondorf let loose a loud roar as he charged forth aiming to cleave the Deity in half, he was packing as much power from his Triforce piece as he could into the strike. The Deity in turn moved simply moved his sword directly into the path of Ganondorf's swing a look of cold indifference on its face.

As the two forces met, steel against steel, a resounding explosion of power burst forth from where the blades came into contact. Ganondorf and the fierce Deity gazing upon one another, Ganon with blazing fury as he drew more and more power from his Triforce, and the Deity with slight interest in its eyes as its arm had started to shake from the force displayed by Ganondorf.

'This may hurt,' Ganondorf thought as he disengaged and stepped in for another blow, 'but it is going to be fun!'

* * *

><p>11.3 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Behold!" exclaimed Link, pulling back the curtain of the Milk Bar to reveal a pointy object.<p>

Navi stared at the pointy object on the stage. "...That's just the Master Sword."

"Yes," Link admitted, stepping onto the stage and withdrawing the weapon. "But it's better than that."

Pulling his sword back, Link tapped into his vast reserves of magic. Pumping a drop through his arm, Link spun in place, his sword leaving a yellow trail of magic behind it.

"But that's just a spin attack." Navi objected. "What did you really want to show me?"

Link lowered his grip slightly, exposing a hole in the blue hilt of the sword. "Normally I use magic to power a spin attack, right?"

Link produced a bottle of red potion, uncorked it, and touched the top to the hole, draining the bottle instantly. Link put the bottle away, then got into a spin attack stance.

This time, as Link spun, his sword left a trail of red that made Navi feel slightly warm inside. "Are... you using the red potion instead of magic?" asked Navi.

Link grinned and nodded. "I'm pretty sure it works with things from fused loops, too. Someone's bound to have created liquid bombs somewhere."

* * *

><p>11.4 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi placed down the final block of wood, and flew backwards a little to admire her creation: a full replica of Kokiri Village. She had constructed everybody's house, the Great Deku Tree, the Lost Woods, and even the Forest Temple. It made Navi feel a little homesick.<p>

It had one major difference from the Hylian Kokiri Forest, however: like the entire world this loop, it was entirely made out of differently-colored cubes. There were cubical mountains, cubical caves, and cubical oceans, and cubical pigs and cows inhabited it. But as weird as this world was, this was hers, and she was rather proud of the result.

"Link?" Navi called. "I finally finished!"

A second passed with no reply. Then another. Link usually responded when she called for him. What was going on?

"Link?"

A faint sigh came from a nearby mountain (made of stone cubes, with a cubical stream running down its side) and Navi flew over to its source. Link stood at the mountain's base, in front of an one-cube opening. Every so often a creature would drop down, its legs visible through the crack, only to find itself punched to death.

"10,855..." Link muttered, and Navi flew forward onto his shoulder.

"Link?" Navi started. "Why are you still here at the Enderman farm? You've been here for 3 days!"

Link turned his head to face Navi, his face droopy and his eyes baggy. "Navi... I've told you already... haven't I?"

A new Enderman dropped into the slot, and Link punched it, causing it to drop an emerald green orb.

"Ender Pearls let me teleport when I throw them, and this is the only loop where I can get them! They're one of the most useful items I use! I need to get as many as I can get while I'm here!"

Navi's wings drooped. "But... don't you want to see my-"

Link sighed and punched another Enderman. "Sorry... just... not now. "

"Can't you just set up an arrow launcher to punch them?" Navi asked, and Link's eyes lit up.

"...that would work!" Link said excitedly. For the first time in 3 days, he stepped away from the hole.

Then he tripped, collapsed on the ground, and started snoring.

* * *

><p>"Navi!"<p>

"Yes?"

"Can you help me?"

"With what?"

Link gestured to the stacks of chests behind him. "Can you take some of these? I can't fit any more Ender Pearls in my subspace pocket."

"..Couldn't you just leave some here?"

Link glared at Navi. "NO."

"Or maybe take the Monster Spawner with you?"

"...maybe."

* * *

><p>11.5<p>

Zelda's Heroic Journey cont.

* * *

><p>Zelda wiped her brow as she slid along a thin ledge of a vast pit of lava. Goron dungeons were always some of the hardest to get through, thanks to the heat and the rough edges. Link insisted that underwater dungeons were the hardest, but Zelda honestly found most of them to be relaxing. Carefully, Zelda reached the small sprout she had noticed growing on the edge of this particular ledge and knelt down. She splayed out her hand, letting her power flow into and through the Deku Emerald. A green glow slid out, encasing the small sprout, which rapidly started to grow and shift, growing upwards through the small hole in the ceiling she had fallen through earlier.<p>

Zelda had arrived in the Goron's domain with little trouble, having managed to lose Ganondorf's forces in the woods. Apparently, Ganondorf worked for the royal family of Ordon in this Loop, no doubt undermining them in a bid for power. Zelda was sorry to leave this version of Link in his clutches, but he should hopefully be alright. In any case, when Zelda had arrived at the mountain home of the Gorons, she found that the Goron Ruby had been lost in the depths of their mines several years ago, when yet another large dragon moved in. This dragon ate metal, apparently, and so all of the Goron's attempts at trapping it had failed, forcing them to abandon the mine.

Zelda finally finish scaling the thin vine, arriving at the main entrance of the mine. One thing the Goron's had forgotten to mention was that the dragon's breath apparently caused bomb flowers to grow and explode. Zelda had barely entered the mine when the dragon had burst through the ceiling, breathing out a thick miasma, which caused several dormant bomb flowers around Zelda's feet to detonate, sending her hurtling down into the depths of the mine. The dragon hadn't pursued, luckily, and Zelda had managed to catch hold of an old, half-chewed framework to keep herself from falling into the lava below. It had then been quite a struggle to navigate her way back up to the entrance.

Zelda stepped lightly forward, bouncing slightly on her toes. This time, she was ready for the dragon. She passed through several arches into the central mining shaft (she had caught glimpses of it from nearby caverns while climbing up). There, down in the center of the shaft, the dragon lay curled up around a large rock pillar. It was serpentine, with a pair of large ratting wings. It didn't appear to have arms or legs, just a long tail with a hook on the end, and of course, a gas-spewing, metal-chomping jaw.

Zelda stepped forward. Somehow, she had to get to the central pillar. She was too far away to do anything here. She glanced around, before spotting a pair of rails that were still somewhat intact, forming a ramp. An overturned cart lay nearby.

"Oh, this is going to suck."

* * *

><p>Zelda tenderly sat down in the seat of the cart. The rails had not been as intact as they appeared, and she had had to find several metal poles and bind them together with vines to complete the track. In truth, she probably could have used Farore's Wind to simply teleport across. She had used it in the woods to escape Ganondorf's pursuit, and she had tested several other spells, all of which seemed to be functioning properly. In the end, she was eager to try and do what Link often did, face the obstacles ahead of her with only the tools the Loop gave her. Of course, while she was trying to get in touch with her inner courage, she wasn't forgetting Wisdom. If this silly idea didn't work, she had Farore's wind ready in reserve. Turning in her seat, Zelda reached out, her hand glowing green with the power of the Deku Emerald. The dragon's breath wasn't the only thing that could develop and set off bomb flowers.<p>

*BOOM!* The small cluster of bomb flower seeds Zelda had positioned behind the cart sprouted and promptly exploded. Zelda spun, ducking down as the cart was hurtled forward, clattering over the cobbled-together track and launching into the air. The slumbering dragon glanced up sleepily, only to receive a metal cart straight to the snout. Zelda leapt clear moments before impact, catching hold of a large stalagmite and spinning around it, bleeding off her momentum as she slid to the floor. The dragon swung backwards, its head lolling to the side, and it slid right off of the edge, vanishing out of sight.

A moment passed, then another. "There is no possibility that this is so simple." Zelda reached down to a small pouch on her leg, just as the dragon burst into view, wings flapping, roaring with anger. Zelda leapt back, pulling a small seed from the pouch, while her other hand pulled a small device out of her satchel on her back.

Down in the depths of the mine, she had found a large hollowed-out boulder while running from some burning Keese. Inside the boulder was an ancient Goron blacksmith, who had refused to leave the mine with the others and had been hiding out down in the bottom of the mines ever since. He had shown Zelda how to use the bomb flowers to deal with the Keese and little dragonlings that had apparently followed the dragon here, throwing them just as they breathed their mist, so that the bomb flower exploded in their face. Given Zelda's somewhat subpar throwing arm, the helpful and rather eager blacksmith had created a solution.

Zelda twisted the device in her hand, causing it to unfold into a rather interesting looking bow. It was mechanical, with gears and pins sticking out haphazardly along its length, but for all that, it was wonderfully balanced, and powerful enough for her needs. Cupping the seed in her gauntlet, Zelda channeled the power of the Deku Emerald. Most species of bomb flower had a rudimentary stem, which never got much longer than an inch or so and usual was altered for form a fuse. However, with the power of the Emerald, Zelda could lengthen the stem into a proper shaft, forming a crude, but effective bomb arrow.

Zelda pivoted, bringing her newly formed arrow up and stringing it on the bow. With a cry, the dragon beat its wings, circling around the platform, and Zelda tracked it, keeping light on her toes and well away from the edge. Finally, the dragon rotated, lashing out with its hook-like tail. Zelda slid down to one knee, the tail swinging over her head. The dragon roared at the miss, and Zelda fired her bow. The arrow struck true, impacting the upper gums of the dragon just as its mist started to billow out. *Foom!* The dragon spun in the air, roaring its displeasure, and started circling again. Zelda grinned, pulling another bomb flower seed from her pouch to make a new arrow. This dragon was going down.

* * *

><p>Five arrows later, Zelda was getting frustrated. While the explosive blasts certainly stunned the dragon, they didn't seem to do enough damage to decisively injure it. It would just roar, shake its head, and take another swing with its tail. She ducked down behind a pillar of stone as yet another tail swing zipped over head. What would Link say? 'Rule Number 11: Scan the battlefield. There is almost always something around you can use.'<p>

Zelda glanced around at the rocky pillar she was on top of. Small stone spears jutted out here and there. There was a few bomb flowers and some short tufts of grass...grass...and a handful of vine sprouts, next to the largest rocky pillar. Zelda smiled as a plan formed.

The dragon circled around, bringing her in its sights, and Zelda took off running. The tail swung behind her, missing her by a foot or so, and Zelda spun around. The dragon roared at her, getting a mouthful of bomb flower arrow for its trouble. As it spun in place, Zelda dropped down next to the vine sprouts and started feeding power into them. Slowly, the vines started wrapping around the pillar.

Tail swing, miss, roar, bomb arrow, grow the vines. Zelda fell into a simple pattern, watching and waiting. Finally, the dragon roared on the side of the pillar closest to the vine covered rock. *Foom!* The dragon reeled back yet again, but this time, Zelda acted. The vines coating the rock leapt out, lashing towards the dragon's tail. The dragon spun, seeking to keep circling around the pillar, but the vines held fast, and the dragon could only roar helplessly as it crashed into the top of the pillar. Zelda leapt forward, pushing her magic into her somewhat neglected Fairy Topaz. A less experienced Zelda, one who was new to the ways of magic, would likely have only been able to stun the dragon with her Fairy Spark, chipping away at a few scales before the dragon broke free. This Zelda, however, was tired, irritated, and ready to be done. Pushing her considerable magical reserves into the spell, a Fairy Spark the size of a large boulder blazed into existence. The dragon's pupil shrank at the sight of it, and Zelda grinned.

*KZZIAP!*

* * *

><p>Zelda held up her hand to shade her eyes as she emerged from the tunnel. After finishing off the dragon, she had had to make her way down through the pillar to the very bottom, where the Goron Ruby lay on a stone pedestal. After claiming the gemstone, she had gone out and glanced up at the climb she would have to make back to the surface. Shaking her head, she triggered a quick Farore's Wind, arriving just inside the mouth of the tunnel.<p>

'Right, one down, one to go. It is time to head to the beach.' Zelda smiled.

* * *

><p>11.6 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Fitting the Ancient Circuit into the door's lock, Link stepped through the ornately carved door in the Lanayru Mining Facility. Link didn't really need to come here, considering he could just Deku Leaf (or Ender Pearl) over the gate to the Temple of Time, but it was always nice to collect more Timeshift stones, and the weird electric Beamos served as nice power sources when you removed the evil laser cannon on the top. Link found it slightly ironic that the highest level of technology in Hyrule was found in the oldest loop, but it was still a refreshing change of pace.<p>

What was not refreshing was having to fight Moldarach to get to the last timeshift stone.

Link stepped through the door into a large, open room, the floor completely obscured by sand. Any moment now, the deadly arachnid would spring up from the sand, and the fight would be on.

It wouldn't be much of a fair fight, considering the win-loss ratio was around 300-0 in Link's favor, but it was still fun nevertheless. Especially when Link restricted himself to only using one item the entire fight, as he normally did nowadays. 'What to use this time?' Link asked himself, and began mentally running through his items.

'Bombs? No, that would make this too easy. Fire Rod? Also too easy. Rocket Barrel? That could work, but I've only got one and it might crash. Hmm...'

After a second, Link's eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his face. 'Or... I can use bait.'

* * *

><p>Moldarach sat in its favored resting place beneath the sand's surface. Once, in another age, the room had been an elevator shaft, but over the years the walls had worn away, and desert sand had leaked in. Even now, Moldarach could feel the faint pulsing of the elevator's power supply, warming the sand to a comfortable temperature. It had discovered this area a few hundred years ago, and since then, its comfortability had not decreased one bit.<p>

Then Moldarach heard a loud creaking noise, and suddenly the room felt a whole lot less comfortable.

It could hear the sound of something scuffing the sand. Something that seemed determined to interrupt Moldarach's day. This would have to be rectified. Wriggling its tail like a fish, it tunneled to the center of the room. Moldarach burst from the sand, both claws splayed outwards in a threatening manner to intimidate whatever creature dared to intrude.

And then it smelled something heavenly.

* * *

><p>Link peered down at Zelda's prone body from atop the Sealed Grounds of the past. Girahim danced around it, occasionally disappearing and reappearing, humming a little victory tune. In a few seconds, he'd start the ritual to summon his master, using the body of Zelda's lying on the ground in front of him.<p>

It was time to change that.

"Hey!"

Girahim looked up from his dance to the rim of the sealed grounds. On the ledge stood a green-clothed Hylian, with a huge grin on his face.

The enormity of the grin probably had to do with the giant black arthropod standing next to him.

"See him?" Link said, pointing down into the chasm at Girahim. Moldarach tilted its eye, moving the hard spikes that surrounded it away to get a better view.

"He's food."

When reflecting back on this particular loop, Link still wasn't quite sure whether it was the thought of a giant chitinous monster under Link's control that made Girahim faint, or when Link teleported it right in front of his face.

* * *

><p>"That was so worth it." Link said, throwing a few more morsels of bait on the ground. Moldarach quickly grabbed them with a claw and stuffed them below its eye, somewhere Link couldn't really see. While the arachnopod's claws hadn't quite managed to tear apart Girahim, his cape was torn off, most of his limbs were twisted and bruised, and the entirety of his body bore large claw marks.<p>

"I need to use you more often." commented Link. Moldarach didn't respond, considering it barely knew the word 'food'. "You'd probably be pretty effective against Diababa if I could get you there."

Link stared at the black scorpion and its oversized claws as it wolfed down the final bait morsels. "Actually..."

Finishing off what remained, Moldarach turned its little claw to look towards Link to see his arm now had several bands of yellow adorning it, and Link now wore metallic boots on his feet.

Moldarach was hoping Link's arm would have more food.

It was not expecting Link' arm to lift him into the air and thrust him into a white void.

Link unequipped the Power Bracelets and wiped some dust off his tunic. 'You'd better still be in there next loop.' Link thought, fervently praying to Farore that his Subspace Pocket would keep Moldarach inact. It was always sort of hit-or-miss with living things.

It didn't. On an unrelated note, he had to replace his entire stock of bait, seeds, and bombs.

* * *

><p>11.7 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Navi... Navi, where art thou? Come hither..."<p>

Navi arrived in front of the Great Deku Tree, carrying something black several times her size. "Great Deku Tree! I have found the cure to your condition!"

The Great Deku Tree stared at the object. "What dost this object be? Dost thou require assistance with its lifting?"

"They're sunglasses!" said Navi. "When you wear them, their sheer awesomeness kills monsters."

The Deku Tree barely had time to blink before Navi slipped the oversized pair of sunglasses over its eyes. For a second it said nothing, examining their weight.

Then the Great Deku Tree realized that the feeling of death creeping up its roots had stopped. Confused, it cast its consciousness inside itself, and found no trace of the parasitic Gohma that inhabited the tree.

From inside the Deku Tree, Link's all-clear came through the tiny earpiece on Navi's wing. "Only five seconds this time! Close to my record." he commented.

"The evil presence...it has gone?" the Deku Tree spoke. "O Navi the fairy... While I know not of this item, it has cleansed the death curse that inhabits my roots."

Navi beamed at the Deku Tree. "Sunglasses."

* * *

><p>11.8 (Filraen)<p>

* * *

><p>When Zelda Awoke the first thing she noticed was how, when looking to the sunrise, the clouds were too low, the land too far and the breeze was somewhat strong, as if her clothes were the only thing covering her from the winds. Looking around she realized it was the case, as she was standing over nothing just below the clouds. After a small moment of panic she realized she wasn't falling and decided to look at her surroundings.<p>

The view was like looking at Hyrule from the top of Death Mountain, just better. Rivers, valleys and deserts were touched by the sun's light, a display whose beauty staggered her until her loops memories arrived, making her realize she had Awoken earlier than ever before.

The Goddess Hylia almost fell from the sky from her surprise.

Stretching her magic senses, she could feel Demise starting to gain power, and Link's preincarnation hopefully being released from his prison. She wanted to go meet him but Zelda knew she had to do something before that: Hylia needed to forge what would eventually become the Master Sword to help Link and all of his future reincarnations.

* * *

><p>"...The Triforce, its power is too great to leave in the grasp of man. Dependence on its might is an invitation to disaster."<p>

The incomplete but already aware form of Fi was listening acutely. The process of making the sword, or more specifically, making the inhabiting spirit Fi, was a learning experience, even if Zelda basically let her loop memories go through the motions.

"When it has served its purpose, it must be secreted away to lie dormant once again... the knowledge of its existence hidden from mortal history."

"As you command, Your Grace," Answered Fi in her normal tone. "I will wait until the day Master Link awakens me in Skyloft."

Zelda halted at her statement. "Fi, are you Awake?" She had heard Link mentioning Fi being Awake but she hadn't met her Looping self yet.

"There is a 50% of probabilities of misunderstanding the question, Your Grace. Please restate."

"By what other name do you know me the most, apart from Hylia?"

After a moment of silence Fi answered: "In that case the answer would be Zelda, Your Grace. With new data I calculate there is a 95% of probability of your previous question was about time repeating, in which case your question is equivalent to ask if I retain memories from previous repetitions. I am Awake, your Grace."

Zelda smiled. She seemed to have done a good work as Fi seemed to have same personality Zelda remembered from previous Loops, though that was likely assisted by her Awakening. Even if Fi seemed a bit cold at first, she had learned to be happy in her interactions with Link. Though it was a pity she had to go to sleep eternally after the whole Demise debacle was over... wait…

"Fi, please answer honestly," Zelda asked as she paused her magic. "How do you feel about going into the Eternal Sleep after helping Link defeat Demise?"

"It's my obligation as a mandate from Your Grace," the sword spirit's answer was short and concise.

"That isn't what I'm asking, Fi," Zelda countered, "Would you like, as personal preference, not to sleep eternally after the defeat of Demise?"

After a few minutes of silence Fi answered, "I would like to have more time awake in company of Master Link."

"Good," Zelda smiled to the unfinished sword spirit. "then I can free you to be awake or asleep as you desire after Demise is dead. How about it, Fi?"

"I would... like it, Your Grace."

"Also, how likely do you think it is that this would carry over to later Loops?"

"According to my understanding of retained skills when Awake there is a 98.8% probability of that happening, Your Grace."

"One more thing, though," Zelda frowned at what Fi had just said. "Nothing of 'Your Grace' anymore when I'm Awake in the Looping sense, I don't want deference from someone who I want to be an equal."

It took Fi a few moments before finally answering. "Understood. Thank you, Hylia."

* * *

><p>11.9<p>

* * *

><p>Link frowned as he finished getting dressed. This was shaping up to be an odd Loop. He couldn't feel the Triforce, which typically only happened during Fused Loops, but here he was in the Kokiri Village. He still had his piece, more like an echo of the Triforce's power than anything, but he couldn't feel the greater Triforce, or whether Zelda or Ganondorf were Awake or not. He had gotten back three pings though. One of them had been delayed, but all were some distance away at least. Checking that he was fully outfitted, Link twisted his arm and triggered a Farore's Wind.<p>

* * *

><p>He arrived at the Temple of Time a couple of moments after Ganondorf. Zelda was standing in front of the doors, looking somewhat impatient. She nodded as they approached.<p>

"Good, I was hoping you two were Awake. I can't feel the Triforce, but my memories and the legends of Hyrule in this Loop state that it should be in the Sacred Realm. I propose that we find out what has happened to it before we go for each others throats."

Ganondorf nodded. "I am willing. I actually intend to find and conquer Subrosia this Loop, so you won't have to deal with me after this." Link and Zelda both looked at him quizzically. Ganondorf gave a Gaelic shrug. "I will get that recipe for Lava Soup if it kills them."

"Ri-i-ight. Anyway, shall we?" Zelda gestured towards the doors. Ganondorf and Link nodded.

* * *

><p>Link stretched as his shoulders popped. Aging potion was useful, but it always left his joints oddly stiff. He pulled the sword free, and the gate opened. Zelda, who had been stepping forward to cross first, gasped, and stepped backward. Link quickly fell into a defensive stance, as Ganondorf manifested his own blade in a burst of dark flame.<p>

An old man was standing in front of the gateway, gazing solemnly at them from within the Sacred Realm. Slowly, he bowed, and then stepped forward. He spoke, in a voice dusty with age and lack of use.

"I thank you, bearers. It is good to finally talk to you." He shuffled forward, swaying awkwardly as he moved. "Balanced hearts are easier than balanced feet, it seems."

Zelda got it first. "You're the Triforce."

The old man nodded. "Yes. Incarnate, due to the foolishness of this body's former host." He coughed, then stared down at his chest. "Lungs, not quite working."

The three Loopers glanced at each other, then back at their Anchor. Link coughed lightly, then stepped forward. "Well, I suppose it is good to finally meet you face-to-face."

The Triforce appeared to be engrossed in untangling the beard of his current body. Link sighed. He was right. This was going to be an odd Loop.

* * *

><p>11.1 - Midna was less than amused at being stuck as a talking skull.<p>

11.2 - Brute force can only take you so far...then you have to use overwhelming brute force.

11.3 - Nitroglycerin Spin Attack!

11.4 - Ender Pearls are like bottles: Glass-like, transparent, and incredibly deadly when thrown at high speed.

11.5 - Zelda's magic can be rather terrifying when necessary.

11.6 - This loop brought to you by all-purpose bait! Capable of brainwashing any being to do your bidding or your money back!

11.7 - 1000 years later, Link finds that the Hero's Clothes now come with a welcome new addition.

11.8 - And Fi is set free!

11.9 - An intervention later had to be held after the Triforce got addicted to Hot Chocolate and turn most of the Lava in Death Mountain into his beverage of choice. Luckily, the Gorons actually didn't mind all that much.


	12. Chapter 12

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: In which Loops are Followed Up On**

Disclaimer: I hereby disavow ownership of the Legend of Zelda or associated properties. I likewise deny any and all claims that I will profit from the usage of such in the following chapter (or any other chapters contained hereunto within this compilation).

* * *

><p>12.1 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

Luffy in the Great Sea cont.

* * *

><p>Outset Island's inhabitants, the Tetra Pirates and the Rito postman stood around, gaping as Luffy shoved another chunk of oversized meat into his mouth, which seemed to stretch in an inhuman manner. Luffy sat next to his aunt, who was sweating from operating the oversized oven that sat in the middle of the island.<p>

"Uh captain," whispered Niko.

Tetra sighed, "Yes, Niko?"

"Where did he find that oven," He asked.

Tetra shook her head. Niko was not present when one second Luffy reached an accord with his grandma that, 'if he finds a large enough oven, she would cook that bird,' and the next a large oven sat in the middle of the island, prepped and ready to cook. The captain was a woman of strong instincts. To a pirate, the captain's instincts mean life or death, capture by port authorities and lifelong prison or the good life of luxury and freedom on the high seas. Her instincts have got her and her crew around and through some of the harshest storms and violent sea monsters. And right now, her instincts told her not to question it, lest her mind snap, "Not now, Niko."

Even as Luffy shoveled more meat into his mouth at an inhuman rate, managed to spit out, between bits of bird, "Where do you think this big guy came from?" referring to the Helmaroc King.

The Rito snapped out of stupor right at that moment, "He was flying towards the Forsaken Fortress."

Luffy tilted his head, "Forsaken Fortress? What's that?"

The Rito crossed his arms, "It it home to a group of pirates. Perhaps one of them tamed this great beast of the sky."

Tetra leaned back, falling on the ground as she mused loudly, "I heard that the leader of the Fortress was kidnapping young maidens. Or at least that's the rumor on Windfall Island."

The air on the beach seemed to chill slightly. After a few quiet seconds, Luffy set his latest helping of meat down, lifted himself up and walked to the resting Tetra. He leaned over her with a serious expression on his face, "Oy, Captain Tetra. Lend me your ship."

Tetra expression shifted to shock, "Huh?!"

With the sound of metal brushing against leather, six sword wielding pirates had their swords pointed at Luffy, centimeters from his body. Gonzo, Tetra's first mate, shouted, "Hey, who do you think you are, asking something like that from Miss Tetra?! We're pirates and we won't be bossed around by the likes of you!"

Aryll's shriek broke through the tension, "Big Brother," as she tried pushing her way through the pirates to hug her older brother.

Luffy's palm came up in front of Aryll, stopped her advance, "Stay back."

His gaze drifted from Tetra to Gonzo. The future pirate king's pupils shrank as the air rippled around him ever so slightly. A second passed, then Gonzo and the other pirates collapsed, unconscious. Tetra's eyes widened even further, "What...you guys, get up! What are you doing, falling down on the job like this..."

She shook Gonzo, then backed up slightly, her hand clenching the dagger on his backside, "W-what did you do? Who are you?!"

Luffy's expression never wavered, "Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. Now take me to the Forsaken Fortress."

* * *

><p>It was nighttime when the pirates arrived at the Fortress. The pirates mostly avoided the Straw Hat Pirate since they discovered Luffy could use Haki, not that they knew what it was. Niko, though, took a shine to him after passing several tests in the lower section of the ship.<p>

Luffy and Tetra stood atop the crow's nest, gazing towards the fortress, "So here we are. The cursed isle known as the Forsaken Fortress."

As Luffy pulled out Aryll's telescope, Tetra shook her head, "There are all sorts of rumors about this place. Some time ago, they were small time, but now it looks pretty dangerous."

Tetra eyed the cannons lining the walls, then watched the searchlight patterns, noting any holes in the search pattern. Her instincts told her to leave as fast as she could. Her eyes scanned the fortress and landed on the flock of seagulls massing around a single window, "See those seagulls by that window? I'll bet you anything that's where they're holding the kidnapped girls."

Luffy returned the telescope to his subspace pocket, "Might be a bit too far for me to stretch. Alright everyone! Get ready, we're storming their gates!"

Tetra slapped her forehead, "Idiot. We'd be bombed out of existence before we got within 100 feet of that entrance."

She closed her eyes for a second in thought, then opened one with a wicked grin, "Besides, I got a better plan."

A few minutes later, Luffy was resting in a barrel with his head and strawhat peaking out of the top. He looked at the barrel and gave an ooohhh of appreciation as Gonzo and another pirate carried him on their shoulders, "I got it! I'll float across the watery expanse and they'll think I'm a barrel of water. Then, they'll lift my barrel up and I jump out and attack."

Tetra sighed to herself, "Not quite. We shouldn't leave it to chance."

Now Luffy looked confused, "So you're going to float up and pretend your delivering some supplies?"

Tetra screamed, "Of course not, idiot! Who the hell would fall for that?"

The female captain took several deep breaths before becoming composed, "We're going to fire you across the water into the fortress itself."

Luffy's eyes sparkled, "SO COOL! Let's do it already!"

Gonzo counted down from three. At one, Luffy's brain kick started, "Uh, but wait, what if you mi-"

And then, Luffy was gone, screaming as his barrel was fired over the wall and smashed against the fortress' keep. Only after Luffy was long gone did Tetra allow herself a short giggle. That boy was interesting if nothing else.

* * *

><p>Luffy muttered to himself as limbs pulled himself up the side of the keep, "Gah, that girl...if I had hit the water I would have been done for."<p>

Luffy's pocket started vibrating, "Hmm? What's this?"

"Your hat landed all the way up there? Shoot! I'm sorry! I apologize! I guess my aim was off by a bit."

Luffy felt his head, and gaped, "AHHH! MY HAT! That was the hat Shanks gave me from before my loops began!"

His hand reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, blue and glowing necklace, "Heh, heh, the look on your face is priceless."

It was Tetra's voice coming out of the stone. Luffy shouted at the stone, "What's the hell were you doing, Tetra! You could have killed me if I landed in the water."

The stone's glow dimmed slightly, "So you can knock my crew out with just a look, use rubber like superpowers, but you can't swim. Priceless."

Luffy glared at the stone, "What is this thing anyway."

The future pirate king could almost see Tetra's smug expression, "A family heirloom. It allows me to see what you're doing and hear what I'm saying."

Luffy shoved the stone in his pocket and crossed his arms, "Geez, what a troublesome girl."

It was just as his eyes opened that he noticed the surrounding moblins and bokobins, all pointing sharp weapons at Luffy. His Haki activated a second later, but none of the surrounding monsters dropped or even seemed phased. The pirate tilted his head and gave a small grin, "Well, looks like I'll have some fun."

And like that, the area exploded into alarms and screaming monsters.

* * *

><p>Tetra slapped her forehead again, "That boy...doesn't he know the meaning of stealth at all? Gonzo, move the ship forward. While the pirates are distracted, we're going to attack. Open fire on all cannons lining the walls around the entrance, then hit the entrance once they've been taken out."<p>

The pirates shouted the affirmative and scurried into action.

* * *

><p>12.2<p>

* * *

><p>*YAWN!*<p>

Link stretched as he awoke, and then Awoke, blinking sleepily as he stared at the ceiling. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes, and he reached out towards the Triforce.

"Yow!"

Link half-jumped half-spasmed, falling out of his bed at the surge of energy and pain that raced through his body. Normally, when he reached for the Triforce's energy, it flowed through him like warmth and fire, flowing smoothly through his limbs. This time, however, it felt like pins and needles were surging through his bloodstream. The feelings of strength was there, but it was almost overshadowed by the odd not-quite-painful tingling. Link scratched at his arm and lifted his hand to check the back. The familiar triangle glowed on his hand, but then Link did a double take. Though it was the same shape and color, the triangle on his hand wasn't quite like he remembered. He ran a finger across it, confirming what his eyes were showing him. A triangle made of glass and outlined in metal was embedded in the back of his hand, glowing softly with an inner light. Slowly, Link lowered his hand to his side.

*Knock Knock Knock* Several sharp raps came at his door. Link quickly rose from his position on the wooden floor and went to answer the door. Zelda was standing just outside as he opened, and she quickly pushed her way in, shutting the door behind her. Link idly noted that the door was rimmed with metal and what appeared to be plastic, forming a tight seal. He turn to look at Zelda, and blanched.

Zelda looked horrible. He skin was pale and clammy, her eyes were bloodshot and couldn't seem to quite focus on Link. Quickly, Link pulled a chair out, and Zelda practically melted down onto it.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Link reached forward to feel her forehead, but she waved his hand away.

"I'm...fine. It's just...difficult...to link with the Triforce...this time." Zelda shook her head. "We...have to get...out of here."

Link blinked. "Why? What's wrong?"

Zelda glanced at him, her eyes narrowing. "You...don't have your...memories yet...do you?"

Link shook his head.

Zelda nodded grimly. "Hyrule...no...Skyloft...are aliens this Loop."

Link blinked, and then his memories triggered. He was a member of the Sky Forces of Skyloft, an invasion vessel sent out by the Hylian High Council to conquer a distant planet. Founded millennia ago by the Golden Trio of the Weapon's Master Din, the Great Magi Nayru, and the Silent Sage Farore, the great Hylian empire had expanded across the cosmos, aided by the TriForce Computer system invented by the Trio. The latest model of TriForce computer was on-board this ship, which was apparently what Link had connected to earlier. The tingles he felt were the nano-machines in his blood stream that linked him to the TriForce.

"We're...the bad guys." Zelda ground out.

Link blinked. If he was bonded just through the nano-machines... "Are you directly linked to the TriForce?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes...and it is...very hard...to keep the other...administrators from noticing." She shook her head. "Ganondorf is Awake...on the planet. Not linked to...this Triforce."

Link nodded. Now that Zelda had mentioned it, he could somewhat feel his usual connection to the Triforce. It was muffled by the power of the nano-machines, but it was still there, and he could feel both Zelda and Ganondorf through it. Link nodded decisively and stood up straighter. "Where to first?"

Zelda grit her teeth and stood. "To free...Batreaux. He came...from the surface...and was caught. He is being...interrogated. Have you pinged, enh, yet?" She grit her teeth and grabbed the doorway to steady herself.

Link shook his head. "Not yet." He quickly did so. "Why didn't you?"

"Couldn't...concen...trate." Zelda bit out.

Two pings returned, both from a distance. "Two, probably on the surface."

Zelda nodded, then made her way through the door. "Come on. We...don't have much...time."

* * *

><p>At the very least, Link's Sky Wing Aerial Fighter was easy to spot. Large and red, it was parked on a wide stretch of stone, which had replaced the wooden festival grounds by the light tower. Several other fighters were parked on the surface, but no-one was guarding them. Everyone was rushing around, fighting the fires caused by Link's distraction.<p>

Link had sent off his entire collection of Bombchus (all 67 of them), to detonate and cause havoc on the island. It had worked splendidly, allowing Zelda and him to sneak down to Batreaux' cell and free him with barely any resistance. Now, the three of them were crouched by Link's craft, as they tried to figure out how they would fit.

"You can't sit in front of me, I won't be able to fly."

"You expect...me to just...get squished in...back?"

"No. I don't know, I just..."

"Ahem. I don't know if it is of any use to you, but I am capable of flight, you know." Batreaux cut in. Zelda and Link glanced at him as he fluttered his wings meaningfully, then back at each other.

Link nodded quickly. "Right, that works. So, you just, uh, jump off the edge, I guess, and Zelda and I will follow shortly." Skyloft was currently in its usual position, though it was there as a forward base for invasion, rather than a peaceful oasis of culture. In any case, Batreaux should be able to make it, as the cloud layer was apparently not as thick this Loop.

With not another word, Batreaux leapt out from under their cover, dashed across the yard, and flung himself off the side.

Link and Zelda stared after him for a moment. Several seconds past, then Link stirred. "Well, I guess he should be fine. We want to go down anyway, so it's not like he would fly back up or anything."

Zelda nodded slightly, then reached forward to climb up the ladder on the side of the Sky Wing.

The two of them settled in, and Link triggered the Sky Wing on. Almost immediately, a voice called out through the speakers.

"You there, trainee. Where do you think you're going, eh? You know the rules, no night flights allowed." Link ignored the voice and pulled the Sky Wing up, letting his Loop memories guide him. With a quick turn and twist, they shot forward and over the edge, aiming almost directly down the side of the ship-island.

"What are you doing?! Get back here before we *KZZK*" The speaker shorted out as Zelda shot a spark of lightning at it from her fingers.

"Boring conver...sation, anyway."

Link laughed. He was only a few feet from the cloud layer, when he suddenly had to twist sharply upwards, as a bolt of lightning shot out from the clouds, almost striking the ship. Link felt like smacking himself as he remembered the reason why the Sky Wings hadn't swooped down across the surface yet. The cloud layer below might have been thinner, but it still magically charged, and it would lash out at the invaders when ever they got close.

"Great, what are we going to do..." he jerked, sharply, as a 'ping' registered in his mind. "New Looper?" He 'pinged' back, and received a quick response. Too quick.

"There's a Looper back on Skyloft."

Zelda stiffened behind him, before she started to laugh. "Not...hehehe...for long...hehe."

Link twisted to ask what she meant, just in time to see a bright light, spring off of the side of Skyloft. It shone, like a light arrow, and quickly curved around to fly straight towards them.

'A missle?' Link quickly started to swerve, causing Zelda to slam into the side of the cockpit behind him.

"Oof. What are...ow, you doing? That's Fi!"

Link stopped, glancing back at the rapidly approaching shining spark. "What? How do you know?"

"She's linked...like me, but...I think...she's better at...cutting them out."

"Huh. Well, cutting things is her specialty." Zelda smacked Link on the back of the head as he chuckled. Now that she was closer, Link could make out Fi's shape. She was glowing a rainbow of colors, leaving a faint trail behind her as she cut through the sky towards them. Though, Link did notice something.

"Is she planning to slow down?"

The answer was, apparently, no. Without the slightest break in speed, Fi shot past them, down towards the crackling cloud layer below. Lightning lashed up to strike her, but, rather than falter, she charged straight through, seeming to drink up the crackling bolts. With a muffled boom, she pierced into the clouds, blasting them apart.

"Heh, always predicting what we need." Link kicked in the engines, accelerating after the now distant blade.

* * *

><p>They almost made it. They had cleared the ring of clouds, which were closing in again, when a stray bolt of lightning snapped out and struck their wing. The engine attached to that side of the ship sputtered as lightning danced across it, before dying with a smoky cough. Link grit his teeth as he struggled to keep the Sky Wing from spinning out of control, gliding towards the ground as best he could. Greenery stretched beneath them, but up ahead, there was a small patch of blue. A lake. Link didn't really recognize the terrain, but figuring out where they were could wait until they were safely on the ground. Link pulled hard on the steering levers, trying to force their nose up through force of will. They were just...too...far...<p>

A thin hand stretched over Link's arm and flared open. A semi-opaque bubble sprang up in front of them, stretching out and thin, as they plowed into the green grassy slope just short of the lake. Zelda's shield held, digging a furrow under the ship, before they crashed into the water. Link quickly popped open the glass hatch as the craft began to slowly sink. The lake seemed pretty shallow, but he didn't want to try and swim out while hauling Zelda. He turned towards her, just in time to see her leap out and land on the surface, striding primly towards the shore. Link rolled his eyes.

Zelda was waiting, smiling slightly on the shore, as Link trudged up. It had taken him a couple of tries to get waterwalking working, so he was somewhat soaked. He shook out his boots while shaking his head.

"So, I'm guessing your headache went away."

Zelda shook her head. "No, but I can manage now. The distance and clouds are interfering, I think."

Link nodded, before glancing over her shoulder. "Well, here comes company."

A mixed collection of beings were coming towards them. Link spotted Gorons, Mogma, Kikwi, and what looked like a Zora, as well as Moblins, Octorocks, and assorted Demons. Batreaux was in the lead, and he rushed up to them grinning, but it was the figure behind him that caught their attention.

"May I present, my two rescuers, um, Link and Thelma?"

"Zelda", Link corrected absently, as he stared at the imposing figure.

"Right, right. Well, Link, Zelda, allow me to introduce the Lord of the Surface, Master Demise!"

The towering demon lord grinned, his hair crackling as he hefted Ghirahim onto his shoulder. "It is a pleasure." Link didn't even have to check his connection to the Triforce to recognize Ganondorf behind that smile.

* * *

><p>12.3 (DrTempo)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf took a sip of wine as he sat on his throne. Or at least, it LOOKED like wine.<p>

Ganondorf had found himself in that Castlevania Loop he'd heard of once, and he was in the role of Dracula himself. Ganondorf chuckled at the irony, as he and Dracula were similar in many ways, right down to the tendency to take over any evil plans going around.

For Dracula, however, it was usually the goal for him to be revived. Ganondorf...well, he just tended to steal the show, so to speak.

Ganondorf ended his line of thinking, and had to admit, he enjoyed this Loop, as even 'death' was a mere inconvenience, he'd be back eventually via getting revived. At least it was more often than back in his home Loop, and the powers and castle he'd be getting from this Loop would be good too (assuming he could still call on the castle, he would have to practice this Loop to ensure it carried over). It'd be yet another way to challenge Link's skills. By now, Ganondorf saw Link as a worthy foe, someone who'd never cease to amaze him. Having a 'son' here in Alucard was also an interesting thing for Ganondorf. Alucard was Awake, and was likely this Loop's Anchor, but Ganondorf wasn't sure of that yet.

The door to the throne room then opened, and Ganondorf smirked. Looks like Richter Belmont was right on time.

As Richter prepared to deliver the infamous lines, Ganondorf smirked, and drew his sword.

"We both know the roles we play, Belmont. Let's just get past the chatter, and enjoy this!"

Richter frowned and charged, and with a smirk, Ganondorf prepared himself. Let's see what this Belmont can do!

* * *

><p>12.4 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"You get to collect the entire Triforce?" asked Navi.<p>

Link nodded. "I told you; Skyloft loops are pretty fun."

"That's so useful! Just wish for extra bottles, and you can put them in your subspace pocket!"

Link stopped and looked at the fairy floating above his shoulder. "No."

"Why?"

"Once I tried wishing for upgraded bombs instead of defeating Demise. You know how sometimes a loop can take the history of a previous one?"

Navi bobbed up and down in a nod.

"The next loop was a Dark World loop where he'd survived, and taken over Hyrule."

He paused for a moment and shuddered. "It was worse than the time when Ganondorf was the Cucco King."

Navi visibly recoiled, and quickly shook herself to get rid of the memory. "That bad?"

"Yes. ...I'm not wishing for anything else other than Demise's annihilation again."

Navi paused mid-flight. "...why couldn't you just wish for an item that could defeat him instead?"

"...huh?"

Navi flew around Link's head excitedly. "Then next one of those Skyloft loops, just wish for something else from the Triforce, and use the item to defeat him! Demise defeated, so he won't come back in another loop, and you've got a free wish from the Triforce! It's easy!"

Link frowned. "...I don't know if the Triforce works that way. I told you; I don't want to risk it."

"Come on! What's the worst thing that could happen?"

* * *

><p>A swirl of light flashed from the sky, and Link rematerialized on the Statue of the Goddess. After a second, there was another explosion of golden light, and three golden triangles rose into the sky.<p>

They swirled around each other, and Fi popped out of the Master Sword. Link already knew what she had to say. It was kind of hard not to memorize "Link, wish for Demise to be defeated!". Occasionally Fi's speech differed, though. Sometimes it included more percentages. Sometimes less. Once it had even taken the form of "Vish for ze ruffian to go avay!" in a weird loop where Fi had worn a top hat and a monocle.

Thankfully, now was not one of those loops. Halfway through Fi's familiar sentence, Link tuned out and stared at the rotating triangles.

Would this really work?

It would have to. If worst came to worst he could probably just try and defeat Demise with Light Arrows, but for Navi's sake, he'd have to at least try this. Turning his attention to the triangular shards floating in front of him, he thrust all other thoughts out of his head and wished.

'I need an item that can defeat Demise completely.'

This would hopefully work. If Navi was right, this would give Link a baseline loop where the Triforce was as good as his. Even if he didn't need anything right now, it would always be good to have a near-omnipotent artifact on his side.

'Oh. And the item should still work even if I take it to another loop in my Pocket.'

That should be enough. Hopefully, it would work. Hopefully, this would solve all his Demise-related problems.

'And it shouldn't be like a Bow. Kind of like the Bug Net; it shouldn't need any ammo to do its job.'

Link grimaced. The Bug Net? Really? Was that really the first thing that popped into his mind? Not the Ocarina of Time, not the Iron Boots, not the ever-useful Hookshot, but the Bug Net?

Either way, it was too late to change his thoughts. The golden triangles in front of Link glowed intensely, and stopped rotating to come to a vertical position. With a chime, they took places at before locking together in a triangular formation Link knew VERY well.

There was a final flash of golden light. Even with his arm in front of his face, it was still blinding, and once it faded it took Link a few seconds to get his sight back. It took him a few more to locate the item now on the ground in front of him.

It was a golden Bug Net.

His eye twitched.

* * *

><p>12.5 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Navi... where art thou?<p>

Come hither, Navi.

Listen to my words.

Dost thou sense it too?

The climate of evil that

descends on Hyrule.

The time has come for

the boy without a fairy

to begin his quest.

Navi... go now! Fly!

Find him and guide him to me!

Fly, o Navi, fly!

"...Great Deku Tree, are you okay?"

That's Great Haiku Tree,

For such I'm called. Now Navi,

Why are you still here?

* * *

><p>12.6 (Conceptualist)<p>

* * *

><p>Nine hundred ninety nine Heart Containers?<p>

Ninety nine million Rupees and six hundred non-consecutive years.

The resources to build and maintain an intricate Heart Flower farming contraption in a Subspace Pocket?

Eight loops in Minecraft.

Figuring out how to how to Collect Items in Subspace without actually opening the Pocket?

Five loop crashes resulting in Safe Mode Loop, with three in the awful CD-i varient, one in Eiken, and one in a gender flipped version of Eiken.

An infinite supply of Heart Flowers, restocking and healing him as fast as he could get hurt?

Priceless.

* * *

><p>12.7 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>A dark form emerged, shrouded by smoke. Large black scales adorned its body, with flamelike spines flaring from its back. It was a creation of pure malice, and it had a job to do. The Spirit Maiden was within its grasp, and all it had to do was to walk up a long spiral ramp.<p>

It lifted one of its bulky legs and immediately toppled over onto its side.

It twitched.

It tried to thrust one leg into the ground. Surely this would push it up. In a few seconds it would be upright once more, continuing its relentless walk towards the ancient Temple of Hylia.

The leg failed to gain traction, pushing the dirt aside and digging a furrow in the earth. Its white stubby toes wiggled furiously, trying to gain some control over the beast's predicament.

A deep, guttural moan reverberated throughout the Sealed Grounds.

"Link?" the beast spoke in a high-pitched voice. "I thought you said The Imprisoned could fly!"

* * *

><p>"And that's why no, I'm not eating you right now." concluded Navi. The old woman in front of her hadn't quite recovered from the shock of seeing the abomination she so despised talking to her, but she was steadily improving.<p>

It probably didn't help that when Navi tried to knock she ended up breaking down the door.

"So I'm going to go see if I can find where future Kokiri Forest is going to be. When you see Link, tell him where I am!"

A very slow nod.

"Great! Thanks!"

As the mammoth jaws disappeared from her view, the caretaker of the Sealed Temple decided now would be a very good time for a nap.

* * *

><p>12.8<p>

* * *

><p>Link turned on the TV and then sat on the couch. He had just woken up in what seemed to be a hub Loop, and his Loop Memories hadn't revealed any interesting backstory or quest material. So, he figured he would see if he could find a television program he hadn't watched before.<p>

"...interview with Captain Blake Rogerset, about the intervention of the North Sea Narwhal Patrol in the attack on his vessel."

"...facial horn. They were like Jedi of the sea, they stopped Cthulu from eating me."

"Captain Blake runs a sea trawler in the North Sea, and just two weeks ago, he was attacked by a mysterious green monster, which he claims to be Cthulu. In any case, the North Sea Narwhal Patrol intervened in the attack, driving off the monster, though it did cause a rather large commotion that was heard from miles away."

"Commotion or not, you have to admit that those Narwhals are pretty awesome, don't you Sarah?"

"That is certainly true, John."

"In any case, a bit further south and west, tensions between the leprechauns and unicorns have reached an all time high. The Leprechaun leader, Thomas O'Greeley, has been accused of both spreading several malicious rumors about the unicorns, and also of enslaving several unicorns for use as mounts. He continues to deny these claims, while calling for sanctions against the unicorns, citing supposed economic losses he claims were caused by rogue elements within the unicorn community. We will have more on this situation as it develops."

"Now, let's turn to Mallory for her coverage of the new rising band, Shrimp Glockenspiel, after which, we will discuss the new rising fashion trend of mustaches."

Link leaned back in his chair. Well, this Loop certainly didn't seem like it would be boring.

* * *

><p>12.9 (Crisis)<p>

Ganondorf's a Father cont. (From Loop 5.7)

* * *

><p>Ganondorf rubbed his eyes in irritation. This time around, he'd Awoken with exactly what he'd been trying to gain for untold Loops. The throne of Hyrule unquestionably his, plus a clear head he hadn't enjoyed since that one Loop where he'd been the hero instead. Except he'd found that being the legitimate King came with a few... twists he hadn't been expecting.<p>

"What do you think you're wearing, daughter?" he growled out at the crown princess his pre-Awake self had sired.

Like the fact that he was the father of one of his long-time nemeses, Princess Zelda. Who, after confirming that she was Awake as well, had taken their familial relationship as permission to drive him crazy.

"Just some traditional garments," the red-haired, dark-skinned teen princess grinned back cheekily.

And he couldn't just kill her for her insolence. After all, she was blood of his blood, even if only for a single Loop. He might have been unspeakably evil for many of his lifetimes, but even he drew the line somewhere.

"That," Ganondorf spat, gesturing to the clothes that exposed more skin than they covered, while emphasizing every feminine curve the wearer possessed, "is not traditional wear for a princess of Hyrule!"

Off to the side he could hear his Queen mother (the first Gerudo born into the royal bloodline and also named Zelda due to royal tradition), who'd practically shoved him onto the throne when he came of age according to his Loop memories, laughing her ass off. And he knew she had every right to after what his own Unawake self had put her through.

"But it is traditional wear for a Gerudo warrior who has passed the trials of womanhood," Zelda shot back smugly. "You wouldn't want me to shun my noble Gerudo blood, would you?"

Oh, that was fighting dirty...

"It's traditional wear for a Gerudo woman out to seduce a paramour!" Ganondorf nearly roared.

"Well, duh," the teen Zelda rolled her eyes as her grandmother finally collapsed into a nearby seat in mirth, "Link's coming over for the first time since I've been recognized as of-age by Hyrule tradition as well as Gerudo. I don't want to waste any time."

"Fifty rupees says his eyes pop out of his head!" the elder Zelda hooted.

Ganondorf groaned and shoved his face into his hands and prayed that someone would launch a timely invasion of Hyrule so he could actually deal with something he had experience in. Having to deal with an Awake teen Zelda and her enthusiastic love affair with an equally Awake Link was taking its toll on his sanity.

* * *

><p>12.10 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>"Malon."<p>

"Yes Link?"

"Would you mind explaining why there are 13 feet chickens wandering around Hyrule?"

Indeed, there were countless oversized chickens clucking away as they wandered around Hyrule field. Malon looked at them, "Probably trying to find a nesting ground."

"Ok...I assume you had something to do with that."

Malon nodded, "Yes, when you're sealed in the sacred chamber for however many years this time, we can stomp out the hunger problem that inevitably arises."

Link nodded, "Ok, I'm with you on that. But why is it that they can breathe fire?"

One chicken lifted his head and gave a cluck, only for a stream of fire to issue forth and set Kokiri Woods ablaze.

Malon shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Link turned to her with a bewildered expression, "HOW is that a good idea?"

"If Ganondorf ever tried taking one of those chickens for himself, he'd set his own castle on fire. They even have the ability of Cuccos-"

The anchor-by-proxy shook his head, "No, no, no. Fix this, NOW, before he rounds up a couple and uses them to guard the Hyrule Temples."

The Looper cast a Farore's wind and disappeared in green light. Malon puffed out her cheeks, "Sakura really liked them when I showed them to her."

* * *

><p>12.1 - Later, Tetra would consider changing her name to Tetra D. Awesome<p>

12.2 - Hyrule Invaders

12.3 - Belmont Whips had nothing on the Master Hookshot. They certainly came close though.

12.4 - Link was much less upset when the next iteration of Demise turned out to be half-cockroach.

12.5 - The Loop just got weirder when Kaepora Gaebora always spoke in raunchy limericks.

12.6 - Even Link isn't quite sure how the Heart Containers work.

12.7 - Haha! I'm loud enough you have to listen now!

12.8 - Credit is due to the amusing Youtube stylings of Weebl.

12.9 - Link wasn't sure whether to be more frightened of the outfit Zelda was wearing, or the burning broadsword Ganondorf was failing to hide behind his back.

12.10 - Mad scientists have to stick together.


	13. Chapter 13 - Special: Obon of Time

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS SPECIAL: The Obon of Time**

**Courtesy of Kalimaru**

Disclaimer: Zelda is not owned by me. It is not owned by you. It is owned by Nintendo, and I can't wait till they make more.

* * *

><p>Stepping through the torii gate and into Castle Town, Link scanned the area. Small houses lined the streets and paper lanterns lit the night. Running in dress, little children went from stall to stall as they enjoyed the festival. Walking through the crowds, Link looked up towards Hyrule Castle, seeing lights running between towers and shining a beacon across Hyrule Field.<p>

He'd Awoken, as was usual for his Seven Year Sleep Loops, in Kokiri Village. Except this time it was a bit different. He'd come to as an intruder to the forest, and the Kokiri children had surrounded him with spears and wearing masks. Not having had the memories set in yet, he'd quickly incapacitated them all with a stick. Said stick was currently stuck to his back, seeing as he couldn't find a sword in the woods. Eventually he'd wandered into the Deku tree and gotten the Kokiri Emerald from an infestation of Gohma Spawn that had taken over the dead tree husk. After planting the Deku Sprout, he'd made his way here in hopes of getting answers. The festival had been a surprise though.

Making his way through the crowds, he found the way to the castle blocked by a moving shrine and a Goron who was laid out on the ground next to it. Kneeling next to him, Link poked the Goron awake. "Hey, what's with the shrine?"

The Goron rolled into a sitting position. "It's for the festival. I'm supposed to get it to the castle for a blessing from the princess, but my partner hasn't shown up yet." The Goron scratched his head. "He's supposed to be someone from one of the other tribes."

Link got up and stretched his back. "Well, is there anything I can do to help?" He was already putting on most of the strength enhancing tools he had. "Maybe I could help get this thing up to the castle."

Looking him over, the Goron stood up. "I guess you must be the representative for those Kokiri kids then? Their champion or whatever?"

'So that's why they didn't try to kill me when I walked out past them.' "Sure, I'm their champion. Name's Link."

"Dakkoron." Getting in the front, Dakkoron grabbed the handles. "And HUP!" With a pull the shrine was up and they were moving. Of course, it paid that Link had enough boosting items on that his arms gleamed with magic strength. Making double time, the two raced up to the castle and in through the gates before lowering the shrine in the castle courtyard. Dakkoron turned to Link. "Think you can find the princess in there? I haven't run like that since the last festival, and I could use a rest."

As Dakkoron sat in a corner of the courtyard, Link turned to the illuminated castle. 'Been a while since I was let in through the front door. Let's see what else has changed this Loop.' And so our hero enters.

* * *

><p>Pressing open the throne room doors, Link walked in and knelt before the throne. "The moving shrine has arrived."<p>

"Well it's about time you got here."

Link looked up at the response and found the the only two present were Zelda and- "Princess Ruto?"

Folding her arms, the Zora princess stood and walked to stand right in front of Link. "Oh, look. ANOTHER stable boy who takes the title of Kokiri champion away from the members of the tribe." Grabbing Link by one of his ears and hauling him to his feet, Ruto turned to look at Zelda. "This one didn't even bother covering his ears!"

Zelda stood as Link got his ear out of Ruto's grip. They'd been discussing matters of royalty over tea, but that would have to wait now. "What is your name?"

"Link, your highness." Rubbing his ear, he sucked in air through his teeth. "And how did you know I was the Kokiri champion?"

"Your clothes, you smell like the forest, the stick on your back, and the Zora Sapphire is reacting to you." Reaching under one of her arm fins, Ruto pulled out the ornate jewel. It glowed faintly and let off a quiet sound of the tide coming in. "And the Kokiri champion is the first to arrive, since the others spend a day tending their wounds from the duels to see who gets to retrieve the emerald from the dead old tree."

'Well it's a good thing I only knocked them all unconscious then.' "You know, you seem to know an awful lot about the Kokiri Choosing of the Champion." 'Thank you~, Loop Memories!'

Ruto got right in Link's face. "I am princess of the Zoras. It is my responsibility to know such things." She backed off a few inches and allowed Link to breathe. "And this not my first festival, stable boy."

Ignoring the jab, Link turned his attention back to Zelda. "Shall we be off then?"

The princess nodded, an air of regality surrounding her despite only being a child like Link and Ruto. "I am sure the citizens have congregated in wait. Let us go and begin."

* * *

><p>Stepping back out through the front door, Zelda led the troupe. Ruto followed close behind, performing an odd sort of dance. Right behind them, Dakkoron was in the front of the shrine with Link having taken the back again. All around them were the citizens of Hyrule from all over. Goron, Zora, Hylian, Gerudo, even the odd Sheikah and Kokiri were there. Seeing that they were all watching, Link almost felt self-conscious. "Hey Dakkoron, what are we carrying? Everybody's watching us like hawks."<p>

"You'll see when we get to the temple."

As the four of them passed, the crowd closed behind them. This kept up all the way to the Temple of Time. Once there, Zelda reached into the moving shrine and pulled out a sheathed katana. Getting Dakkoron and Link to put the moving shrine down, Zelda led them and Ruto inside. Once inside, the three carriers of the sacred gems held them before the Door of Time. Once it opened, Zelda led them through. But instead of the usual Pedestal of Time, there was a place for putting the katana that Zelda was holding. Placing it down, Zelda began to pray to the sword.

_"O Blade of Our Ancestors, Protector of Our Kin,_

_Bless the sleepless dead, with peaceful rest and vim._

_Let Time continue turning, Let Life continue on,_

_And when it is Our Time, Let us be remembered when we're gone._

_As you have always done, as you always will,_

_For three days, please let Our Time be made to stand still._

_We pay oath to the dead, we pay tribute to their names,_

_and in three days, when all is done, let Time begin again."_

The sword was glowing by the end of the prayer. Standing, Zelda nodded. "It is done."

"Heh. Well done, princess." Link, Zelda, and Ruto all turned to find Dakkoron laughing darkly. "It only took a disguise mask and a stolen gem, but you led me right to it." Slowly, Dakkoron reached up and grabbed the sides off his head. With the slow, drawn out sound of tape being pulled away and grunting, Ganondorf pulled off his mask and smiled triumphantly. "The power of that sword will be mine!"

Seeing that this was about to go south, Link moved. Sprinting past Zelda and grabbing the sword by the scabbard, Link turned and held the blade protectively. He still didn't know what was going to happen this Loop, but he couldn't risk it. Grabbing the handle, Link drew the katana from the scabbard and held it vertically. "I can't let you do that, Ganondorf."

Caught between the two of them, Zelda and Ruto didn't know which crazed lunatic to run from first. The one who'd peeled off his face and ended up being a Gerudo male, or the farm boy who'd gone and drawn the Blade of Time inside the Temple. Either way they were going to be in trouble. Quickly making a decision, Zelda crept towards Link and dragged Ruto with her. At least they'd both talked to him. The 'not-peeling-his-face-off' was a plus as well.

The Gerudo King grimaced. "So you were Awake, Link? Fine, but you know not what power you wield."

"If it's a power you want, then I know I can't give it up." Leveling the blade at Ganondorf, Link swung it to the side in a two-handed grip. As it moved, the katana hummed and the sound of paper being cut could be heard. No one made a sound, dreading what the noise could mean. Ruto summed everyone's thoughts in a word though.

"Fffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!."

Where Link had swung the blade, the very air ripped open and a vacuum was formed. Already unbalanced by the sword, Link was the first to fall into the hole. Then Ruto, cursing at the top of her lungs, and finally Zelda. As Ganondorf charged for the gap to follow, the hole sealed itself closed just as he'd jumped for it. Passing straight through the open air, he landed on his face and cursed.

* * *

><p>"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Standing over Link, Zelda and Epona the Admin were working together to chew him out. Behind Epona, Susano'o was leaning against the void they found themselves in. Next to Link, Ruto was in the fetal position as she tried to wrap her mind around the experience of sitting on nothingness.<p>

Epona stepped forward and loomed over Link."You cut a hole in the Loop! And then you fell into it. Are you trying to make my job harder?"

Link ducked and put his hands up. "I didn't know the sword would do that!"

"Do what? Kill us? Crash the Loop?" Zelda crossed her arms. "You should have known better than to draw that sword, Link. Especially since you were in the Temple of Time."

"Fine, fine. I get your point. But what was my alternative? Let Ganondorf get it? He would have done anything he could to screw us with it. I wasn't going to take the chance." Link held out the katana. "If you want to get rid of it, by all means go ahead. It's not like I don't have a ton of swords already."

Before Epona could take it, Susano'o put his hand out. "Nah. You can keep the sword."

"WHAT?!"

Brushing off Epona's reaction, Susano'o continued. "We'll give it to you as a... trial of the divine. Prove that you won't abuse the power of the sword, and you can keep it."

Staring down at the katana in his hands, Link changed his grip on the scabbard to a more reverent touch. "But what do I call it? I feel awkward just calling it 'the sword'."

"Oh, that's easy." Susano'o scoffed. "That's Hyrule's version of Kusanagi."

Almost simultaneously, three jaws hit the floor. Zelda was the first to get her's working again. "You mean you're giving us-"

"The Imperial Sword of the Japanese Royal Family. But not really." Pulling the sword from his belt, Susano'o held it out. "This is the real Kusanagi. What you have in your hands is Yggdrasil's attempt at interpreting the data from my sword and trying to compile it in the context of Hyrule. It's why everything was a bit... culture specific in that Loop. Yggdrasil was trying to update the data from Kusanagi that was already in its systems, while compiling the new data at the same time. That caused the Loop to be fragile and crash, so that's why we're here while Yggdrasil finishes compiling." Turning, Susano'o flicked his hand and a door formed from the void. Through it, the ocean could be seen with Outset Island sitting in the distance. "And it looks like the next Loop has started properly. Now off you go!" With a flick, Zelda, Link, and Ruto were thrown through the portal. Clapping his hands together after they'd gone, Susano'o closed the door and returned Epona and himself back to Admin Space. Seeing her glaring at him, Suasano'o shrugged. "What is it, Epona?"

"You took too many liberties with that one, Susano'o. You don't know what could happen now that you've given them that sword."

"That's why I told them it was Kusanagi." Seeing Epona's confusion, Susano'o sighed. "By telling them that they were in a trial and by saying it was to keep the sword, I convinced them that their actions would be watched. That'll keep them from going off the deep end and possibly wrecking Ruto's chances of Awakening. No Cuccoo bombs, no pocket abuse, and being in Wind Waker gives the girl nearly a country to wander in and cope. If we're lucky, she doesn't go mad from our interference. So excuse me if I take some liberties, but I'd like to keep these kids sane."

"And how is letting them crash out of their Loop keeping them sane?" Epona glowered.

Susano'o shrugged and grinned. "By keeping them from being bored." He chuckled to himself as Epona left with a strangled growl of frustration.

* * *

><p>Coming up for air, Link and Zelda found themselves coming ashore on Outset Island. With Kusanagi, or, Link decided, Katanagi (to give it a name to keep it straight which blade it was) stashed safely in Link's pocket, the two of them dragged themselves onto the beach as Ruto followed behind, still looking shell-shocked.. As all three sat on the sand, Link tried going over his new Loop memories.<p>

'Okay. Aryll's still my sister. Zelda... is a mysterious girl we found washed on shore one day, and Ruto has replaced the local mapmaker fish. This should be simple enough. Doesn't seem there are any glitches from...whatever it was that happened.' Almost as soon as he thought it, Link could hear the warning bells. The actual ones. That warn of approaching ships. Looking out to sea, the three of them saw the approaching vessel hoist the Jolly Rogers. Palming his face, Link sighed. "Hoo boy."

* * *

><p>"Put your hands in the air!" A sword in hand, Tetra pushed her blade against Link's neck, backing him against the mast. Zelda and Ruto were receiving the same treatment, the three of them circled around the wooden pole as Tetra's pirates chuckled menacingly. "You dare stowaway on my ship, you bilge rats? I ought to run you through and leave your bodies for Davy Jones!"<p>

Link smiled. "Good luck with that." Reaching up, he knocked Tetra's sword away with a summoned Master Sword. Behind him, Zelda began throwing Din's Fire around like candy. Link could tell because the ship was suddenly up in flames. "Care for a duel, mon cherie?"

Tetra snarled. "I care for you to DIE!" As Link sidestepped her lunge, she turned her sword for an upward swing. Deftly, Link countered and swatted the sword from her hand. Weaponless, Tetra moved to punch Link in the face. "BILGE RAT!"

Pocketing his sword and grabbing Tetra's fist, Link clicked his tongue at her. "That is no way to duel, mon cherie. I expect sharp wit and a cutting remark. Simply yelling names is likely to get someone hurt." As usual, acting calm and in control led to Tetra losing her temper.

"I'll hurt you, you filthy codswallop!" Swinging her free hand for Link's face and getting it caught, Tetra brought her foot up to Link's stomach and pushed away from him. Grabbing her sword from the still burning deck, Tetra brought it to point just short of Link's nose. "How and why are you on my ship?"

Looking over Tetra's shoulder, Link smiled. "Why don't you ask her?"

"Ask wh-" Tetra's question was cut short when she felt the sharp edge against her throat. Looking down, she saw that it wasn't a sword. It was a fin. Behind her, struggling for a steady breath, was Ruto.

"We're commandeering this vessel," the Zora princess ground out. "And you're going to take us where we want to go." Feeling Tetra move to get away from her, Ruto growled. "No. You. Are Going. TO TAKE US. WHERE WE NEED. TO GO."

Feeling the fin beginning to hurt her throat, Tetra looked around. Most of her crew was overboard or unconscious, the girl who'd been throwing fire having done some pretty severe damage to her ship. The green boy, unbothered by the blaze that surrounded him, was watching her with a smirk on his face. Even if she could take the panting fish-girl, she probably wouldn't make it off the boat in one piece.

Having weighed her options, Tetra sighed. "We're going to need another boat."

* * *

><p>After having 'acquired' a small ship from a nearby merchant (Which came with free ammo, courtesy of Beedle! Knives held to one's throat were powerful motivators), the four children set out. Link navigated, Tetra steered, Zelda was on cannon duty, and Ruto captained the crew and scouted ahead. After similarly 'liberating' some Tetra approved clothes from Windfall as well, they set out on their journey. For several days, they wandered the seas at Link's suggestion. But not without reason...<p>

* * *

><p>Late one night, Zelda woke to the sound of singing. It was a sad voice, and it was coming from the deck of the ship. Careful not to wake Link or Tetra, the Hyrulian castaway tip-toed outside. Out here, in the cool night air, she took a deep breath and looked for the source of the singing. Not seeing anyone on the deck, Zelda turned and looked up. There, sitting over the entryway to the cabin, Ruto clutched her knees and hid her eyes.<p>

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Pulling herself up next to Ruto, Zelda shook her head. It wouldn't be fair to tell the poor girl otherwise. Ruto sniffled. "I'm just... I keep having these... memories show up. One where we're in Hyrule, you and I are princesses, and we do the Obon every year. And now... Now I'm supposed to be the only Zora left. The only one because Lord Jabu-Jabu ate my ancestors when the flood came, and all their other descendants became birds. Birds!" Ruto laughed, but it was a broken one. "And now my memories are fighting, trying to tell me that I'm one or the other, not both." Ruto turned to Zelda with tears in her eyes. "What am I supposed to do? Everyone else is dead, and I'm all that's left."

As Ruto broke down sobbing, Zelda pulled her close. All these Loops, and she still knew only one way to truly soothe someone. Looking to the moon, Zelda began to hum her lullaby. Down below, Tetra watched the ceiling.

"It's almost like I've heard that song before."

Link mumbled and rolled over. "Maybe in a previous lifetime."

* * *

><p>"Alright, I think it's about time we gave you 'The Talk'."<p>

Hearing Zelda say that, Ruto looked at her like she'd grown two heads. Tetra chuckled and continued manning the helm. "I think Ms. Gills there already knows how the guppies swim, Goldilocks."

Link shook his head and grimaced. "Wrong Talk." Sitting on the floor next to Zelda and Ruto, Link crossed his arms as he crossed his legs. "Typically, we call this the 'Welcome to the Multiverse' talk. It's to help you and explain what's happening and why." Looking at Ruto without turning his head, Link raised his eyebrow. "Do you want the short version, the long version, or the really long version?"

Ruto shook her head. "Can we start with the short version?"

Unfolding his arms, Link put his hands on his knees. "Alright. Time is broken, there's nothing we can do, and all is lost." Leaning back, Link raised his arms and laughed. "Praise be to the Goddesses!" This quickly earned him a slap on the arm from Zelda. "Ow!"

"If you're not going to be serious and explain things to her, then I will." Lacing her fingers together and putting her hands in her lap, Zelda sighed. "Okay, it all starts with a tree..."

* * *

><p>Two Hours Later<p>

* * *

><p>"...and that's why Hyrule is flooded, why there are no other Zoras, why that big nosed man sent us here, and why the Triforce is simultaneously the most and least useful object you can ever find."<p>

Tetra shook her head. "That's it, all three of you are insane."

Ruto looked confused. "But who's Tingle?"

Link, Zelda, and Tetra all shuddered. "Pray you never find out."

Link turned to Tetra. "Wait, you've met him too?"

Tetra nodded. "When you can't feed those old geezerfish, Tingle's the best mapmaker in this ocean and the next. Course, he's a greedy one with how much he demands for the maps he makes."

"Huh." Walking over to the map, Link folded his arms. "Odd question, but how many days has it been since we left Outset?"

"About a week. Why?"

'Wait... one, two three...' "Uh oh. Tetra! Turn to 2 o'clock! We've got to get to Forsaken Fortress!"

"What? Why?" Already spinning the steering wheel, Tetra kept her footing as the ship tilted to the right. "What's so important about getting there?"

Link scowled. "Yesterday was my birthday."

Tetra growled. "And what, you want a present? I should keelhaul all three of you. How's that for a gift?"

From the wall, Ruto interrupted further torture suggestions. "Why do we need to get to Forsaken Fortress?"

Holding on to one of the supportive columns, Zelda answered. "Whenever we end up in the Great Sea, and unless we do something to prevent it, Aryll always gets kidnapped on Link's birthday! The fortress is where she's usually imprisoned. And we've both seen what happens when we don't save her!"

"What happens?"

As the ship righted itself and began speeding across the open waves, Link's grimace stayed put. "Let's just say that the seagulls are a lot less fun when they change their diets to include more red meat."

With that horrifying thought, the ship sped towards Forsaken Fortress.

* * *

><p>"This is where Aryll gets taken to?" Towering above the appropriated merchant ship, the wooden gate of the Forsaken Fortress was almost alive in its imposing hostility. Ruto had to tilt her head all the way back to properly see the top against the night sky. "And how are we supposed to get in?"<p>

Link stood next to her with his arms folded. "Well, Tetra normally launches me over the gate with a catapult and I smack face first into a stone wall. But since we don't have a catapult and our current cannon is Zelda lobbing fireballs, we're going to have to adapt." Link then pulled a Zora Mask from his pocket. "Zelda, do you want to come with us?"

"Of course." Pulling out her own mask, Zelda put it on just as Link put on his. Together they turned from blonde children to adult Zoras, Link as Mikau and Zelda as Laruto. Once the light show was over, Ruto was left looking up at her now taller companions. "Shall we?"

"Let's." And together, they jumped off the side and dragged Ruto under the gate and into the fortress.

* * *

><p>"Why am I the one who has to turn off the searchlights?"<p>

"Because we need to see how well you sneak."

* * *

><p>"Why do I have to fight the monsters?"<p>

"We need to see how well you can fight."

* * *

><p>"Three Goddesses, it's that bird! AH! It's trying to eat me!"<p>

"It's defending its territory! Show dominance! Be the Alpha Fish Woman!"

* * *

><p>Ruto stood outside Ganon's overlook and gasped for air. "I... hate you... so much..."<p>

"Ah, drink some red potion and walk it off. You beat the bird at least."

"Only... because... it choked... on my head..."

"Well, the good news is that you're able to hold your own in a dungeon. Sadly, this is just the first of many in this Great Sea. Lucky for you, we'll be here to guide you!"

"Like... you did... with those... Bombchus?"

Link shrugged. "Eh. I think Zelda will be guiding you through the next dungeon."

"Oh... Goody..." And then sweet merciful sleep took Ruto.

* * *

><p>When she Awoke next, Ruto found herself standing in a room made of meat with sphincters in the floor. The memories hit around the same time Link walked in. "What happened?"<p>

Link shrugged. "I try to beat Ganon using the Katanagi that Susano'o gave me. It split him in half and crashed the Loop. Apparently, all the data about the sword still hadn't stabilized."

Ruto's jaw dropped. "So, all that work, all that sneaking, getting vomited back up by a FILTHY bird, AND YOU MADE IT ALL POINTLESS!? WHY!?"

"Consider it your first lesson in the Loops. Sometimes, we have to accept that we've struggled pointlessly." Pulling out his mask again, Link turned into Mikau. "So how about you try being the hero this Loop. I bet you'd do pretty well."

Ruto's shoulders slumped and she sighed. "Fine."

* * *

><p>Several Loops Later<p>

* * *

><p>"Finally!" Standing in the underwater palace of Hyrule, Ruto pumped her fists in the air. "Twenty seven tries, and I made it! I'm at the end of this Loop! In your face, Ganondorf!"<p>

The dark Gerudo King chuckled. "I'm afraid not, water child. I have already collected the last piece of the Triforce from Zelda. Soon the Triforce will be complete. I must thank you. Were it not for you, I would have never found the Triforce of Courage." Another evil chuckle. "Come to me, oh Triforce!"

"Oh no you don't!" Pulling out her bow from this loop and notching a light arrow, Ruto took aim and fired directly for the center of Ganondorf's chest. The arrow flew true, and Ganondorf was stunned. Making good on the chance, Ruto ran forward and slapped her hand onto the Triforce that had formed at Ganondorf's call. It glowed momentarily, and then vanished.

Stepping up behind Ruto, Zelda smiied. "So what was your wish?"

Ruto grinned. "Well, I liked coming to this version of Hyrule since it's so big, but the salt water was a bit much. So I wished for a giant version of regular Hyrule to explore with everyone who you said was looping with us."

Zelda blinked a few times. "And the Triforce granted your wish?"

Ruto shrugged. "Maybe. Felt like it, anyway."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in Admin Space<p>

* * *

><p>Seeing a notification pop up, Epona coughed a little on her soothing tea. Apparently there was a new variation of Hyrule being formed in Yggdrasil. Slowly, Epona rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Us dammit."<p>

* * *

><p>And thus, the New Zelda Wii U game is born! We welcome Ruto to the Loops, and we will see the fruits of her efforts some time in 2015! Yay!<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**The Legend of Zelda Time Loops: Some Things Old, Some Things New**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. Nor do I own a copy of Hyrule Warriors, yet. The first will probably never happen, but the second is only a matter of time. Bwahahaha!

* * *

><p>14.1 (DrTempo - Edits by LordCirce)<p>

* * *

><p>The Purification of Vaati and Ganondorf<p>

* * *

><p>Mamoru and Usagi, throughout all the Loops, had faced all manners of monsters, evils, and otherwise crazy things. It was usually Usagi who did the heavy fighting, hence why Mamoru enjoyed being the hero for a change.<p>

However, the odds were not in his favor. He was facing two of the villains of this loop, the Gerudo King Ganondorf and the Evil Magus Vaati. The former was chuckling as he crossed blades with Mamoru.

"Well, well...this is a change. You are not the same hero I've fought before...and the Princess isn't the same either. Time seems to have become like a broken record, the same events playing out again and again... but not the same each time. I did not believe that young wizard with the lightning bolt scar, but it seems he was right. I will have to thank him should we meet again."

Mamoru gaped. Ganondorf was apparently Looping, and had met Harry. This was bad. VERY bad. A villain like Ganondorf Looping was asking for trouble. Off to the side, Usagi quickly broke out of the prison she was in, and Mamoru smirked when he saw this. Unluckily for him, Vaati took the chance to attack Mamoru with a pair of shadowy orbs, knocking him down.

As Mamoru shook off the magical assault, Usagi yelled, "Stun them! I need to try something!" Mamoru nodded, and quickly fired two Light Arrows, catching both villains in the chest. They each reeled backwards, but visibly threw off the power of the arrows. However, it gave Usagi enough time to call upon the Silver Crystal. What she did next, however, was not what Mamoru was expecting.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

The blast engulfed the two tyrants, encasing them in pure light. Mamoru blinked as he saw a shadow fly out of them, one which looked oddly like Ganondorf.

Usagi ran over to Mamoru, helping him to balance as the adrenaline of the fight wore off. She began to whisper into his ear, "I could feel something influencing them...like a curse. I will exchange notes with Harry about this when we next see him if this doesn't work." Mamoru nodded, remembering how he'd been a victim of a control curse in baseline.

Ganondorf recovered first, and began to laugh...but this laugh was joyful compared to his previous malevolence. Vaati slowly climbed to his feet, looking somewhat dazed, and then walked over to Usagi and Mamoru.

"Thank you, thank you." The purple-robed mage smiled and laughed. "I can think for myself again."

The Gerudo King eventually composed himself, and joined the three others. He bowed, formally, to the both of them. "Thank you. At last, the voice in my head...the one crying for blood against Hylia...the one desiring destruction...has faded. For the first time in ages, my thoughts are fully my own."

Usagi nodded. "How did this curse come to be laid upon you? And how did you two come to share it? I know some of the basics, but..."

Ganondorf nodded. "I believe a story is in order. Let me tell you of the Demon King Demise..."

* * *

><p>As the tale was told, the lovers realized Ganondorf, Vaati, and others like them had been egged on, so to speak, in their actions. They were still to blame, but Usagi could forgive them.<p>

In turn, Usagi gave them a summary of the Loops. Ganondorf had heard it before, but having it corroborated was a bonus.

Finishing up her explanation, she sighed. "Now, the curse I purged from you is powerful, and, if it is as you say and the curse exists each Loop, you will likely wake under its thrall in the future. However, now that its power has been broken on you once, you should be capable of breaking it again."

Ganondorf and Vaati nodded, with the former saying, "I see...that explains much. If you are right, then it would likely be best that I continue to act the part of a villain, lest the curse of Demise's Hatred seek out a new host. Well, if fate needs me to play the villain, then I shall. The hero and princess I know have always proven a challenge...they are probably 'Awake' too...that would explain why they tend to act different then what I remember. Still, what to do with what is apparently eternity...I suppose I can see what the worlds will offer, and if a King of Evil is needed, I will play the role. I am...accustomed to it. But I will also enjoy the finer things in life."

Vaati sneered. "It matters little to me, as I haven't experienced these 'Loops' that you speak of. Still, I will enjoy this life while I can."

Usagi frowned at him. "So, you remain unrepentant?"

Vaati shrugged. "For now, I will play by your rules. That should be enough for you."

Ganondorf cuffed him lightly on the head, and then turned back to Usagi. "I personally surrender to you for this Loop. If we meet in the future, we may battle, but for now I will keep my peace."

Mamoru chuckled. "Only you could redeem Ganondorf, Usagi."

Usagi smiled at him while Ganondorf huffed slightly. "His actions weren't totally his fault. I can forgive him a little." She then turned to the two villains and said, "Go...and cause trouble no more. I decree it as Princess of Hyrule." With a whisper, she added, "But if you feel you have to...not for the fun of it, but because you have to, then be evil, if evil is needed. Still, try and keep it clean."

* * *

><p>14.2 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>If there was one thing that made the loops tolerable, it was the dungeon items.<p>

Most of the Hylian loopers that actually bothered to open chests eventually developed a collection of them. Alone, even the baseline items were incredibly useful and allowed the mobility normally associated with magical beings with minimal effort. They allowed puzzles to be solved, switches to be pressed, and the environment to be altered in ways normally reserved for bulldozers, which for some reason were never seen in even the most technologically advanced loops.

But the real reason items were useful was in combination.

Take the Gust Bellows, one of the more useless offensive items. Yet if paired with the Gust Jar, which grows stronger with more air sucked into it, it can produce an unstoppable gale from a tiny source. When paired with the Flame Rod, it creates a simple combustion engine that runs on magic power, something that Hyrule has an ample supply of. The Gust Bellows upgrades the Bug Net to have a range of 10 feet for sucking in bugs, gives the Beetle a massive speed boost when attached to the back, creates a low-range Ender Pearl cannon when combined with the Pinwheel (which eventually proved to be more useful for launching Cuccos), and makes a replacement broomstick in a pinch when used with the Deku Leaf.

And then there were some combinations of items that were less creative. The Iron Boots left the wearer vulnerable to the very same shock waves that made the Skull Hammer so fearsome. The Hookshot and the Boomerang didn't really work together, no matter how much duct tape was used, and the Sand Rod was mostly useless when combined with any item that hovered in the completely sandless sky.

And then there were the combinations that made no sense whatsoever, yet still managed to be useful in one or two or ten million cases.

Like combining bombs with more bombs.

"You blew up the moon, hero."

"It was in the way!"

* * *

><p>14.3 (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>"Team seven: Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka called out.<p>

'Alright,' Naruto grinned to himself, 'time to see who I'm teamed with this Loop!' He was fairly excited since there were a bunch of classmates this time he didn't recognize replacing familiar faces. And no sign of Sakura, Awake or otherwise.

"Aburame Agitha," Iruka continued.

Naruto stiffened in his seat. He recognized that name... 'Aw, Kami no. Not a team with the crazy bug girl!' he prayed. Well, at least whoever else he got couldn't be worse.

"Uchiha Tingle," Iruka obliviously reminded Naruto to never tempt fate like that.

'Well, there goes my sanity for this Loop,' Naruto despaired, wondering how he'd missed the fairy wannabe until now. His mind must have mercifully blocked out the existence of one of the few people in the multiverse that made Lee and Gai seem calm and rational by comparison. 'Okay, look on the bright side... Try to think of a bright side...'

"Jonin sensei: Hatake Impa."

Naruto blinked. 'That'll do.'

* * *

><p>14.4<p>

* * *

><p>Midna stared blankly at Link. "I'm supposed to what?"<p>

"You're supposed to take this bow, and then you use your key necklace to help me unlock a tower in the Temple of Seasons."

Midna shifted slightly in her too-big robe, while staring at the reddish pink bow. "And what, I'm supposed to wear that? In my hair?" Sliding out over her shoulder, her hair formed into a hand and wiggled a finger at Link.

He blinked, then frowned. "Actually, Rosa usually just wears it on top of her robe." He stared down at it in his hands. "Actually, I never actually thought about how it stays on. It doesn't have a pin or anything." Link was snapped out of his musings by Midna's hair grabbing him and dragging him along.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, it is way too hot here for me. You said it was winter in the Hollow Drum or whatever, right?"

* * *

><p>Midna sneezed. "Wha is ub with all theez flo'ers? Wasn' it fawl?" She dug her heels into Link's side as he loped along in wolf form towards the Moblin King's fortress, jumping over a pit as he went.<p>

'I told you, the season's are all messed up. And since when are you allergic to flowers?', he asked telepathically.

"Since shut ub, dat's when." Midna sniffled miserably.

Link let out a bark of laughter as he ducked between two trees and felt the temperature suddenly rise as they ran into a patch of summer. On his back, Midna let out a sigh of relief as the sickly sweet scent of the flowers left her nose.

'Ready to throw some bombs at the Moblin King?'

Midna tossed her head back. "I suppose."

* * *

><p>14.5<p>

* * *

><p>Link walked around the corner in the Spool Swamp. Just up ahead should be where Moosh was being harassed by Moblins after his sweet banana. Link had a master plan this Loop to usurp the Moblin King and get the Moblins to follow his banner to fight Onox. He would just have to...<p>

Link ducked to avoid a flying Moblin which crashed into the wall behind him. Peering around the corner, Link was greeted by an odd sight. A black and white version of Moosh was kicking the Moblins all across the clearing, moving with far more grace that one would expect from such a...large...creature. Finally, as the last Moblins ran off, Moosh turned and held up a sign.

'I am just a normal panda.'

It then paused, before pulling the sign back and pulling out another.

'I am just a normal winged panda.'

Link slowly nodded. "Ok...um, do you think you can help me cross a few ditches?"

The winged bear pulled out a third sign.

'Got any Spring Bananas?'

* * *

><p>14.6<p>

* * *

><p>"Why don't you just make your own bottles? Or buy them in bulk from a store, I mean, it's not like glass bottles are all that rare." Hermione frowned as she watched as Link celebrated finding a Bottle in Hagrid's pantry, which Hagrid allowed him to take.<p>

Link turned back, reaching into his pouch as he did so. "It isn't just any old glass bottles I go for. It's Glass Bottles. If you recall, I haven't tried to take Snape's supply of bottles."

Hermione frowned, picking up on the capitalization. "Ok, I'll bite. What makes 'Glass Bottles' so special?"

Link grinned. "I'm glad you asked." He pulled his hand out of his pouch to reveal another bottle and a long stick. "Now, without casting any special spells on this bottle, do you think you could store this stick in it?"

Hermione frowned, examining the stick and bottle closely, before she tried poking the stick into the bottle. It slid in about halfway before the end of the stick hit the bottom of the bottle. After several different attempts, Hermione tossed the stick and bottle back. "Nope. Not without some sort of trick, at least."

Link nodded. "Right. Most bottles are just that, bottles. They can hold stuff, but not in the same way Glass Bottles do. Watch." Link took the Glass Bottle he had gotten from Hagrid, and swiped it across the stick. Watching closely, Hermione blinked as the stick seemed to wiggle, before swirling into the bottle. With a flourish, Link capped the bottle and held it up, revealing a shrunken stick inside the Bottle.

Hermione frowned. "So it's enchanted then." Before Link could answer, she pulled out her wand and started casting diagnostic spells on the bottle.

Link rolled his eyes and set the bottle on the table. "Not quite. My best theory at the moment is that they are Fairy Made, which gives them an odd relationship with space and time. Navi claims that she has never heard of such a thing, but she started giggling right afterwards, so I'm not sure I trust that answer. In any case, I haven't figured out the secret behind it yet, so I am stuck with just tracking them down when I find them."

Harry, who had been leaning back on the sofa, sat up at the tone in Link's voice. "Hmm, you haven't figured it out, bu~u~ut, you think someone has?"

Link scowled. "Either Zelda is better at finding and collecting bottles than I am, or she figured out how to make her own. She can literally pull out a bottle at any time. Malon's started doing it too. I just know they've figured out the secret and are keeping it to themselves."

Hermione broke in. "If these are Fairy Made, as in the Fairies of Hyrule, then how did one end up in Hagrid's cabin?"

Link shrugged. "Stockers, maybe?"

Everyone except Link and Hermione winced.

"Stockers? Stockers?! You mean the little creatures that, for no discernible reason to magic or science, have access to items from across the Loops, and will just randomly hide them in chests and closets and hairdos? Those stockers?"

Link nodded tentatively, as Hermione sat back and started grumbling, savagely stabbing at one of Hagrid's rock cakes, causing chips to fly through the air. Link turned and leaned over to Ron, who was half-ducked behind one of Hagrid's serving plates.

"Hairdos?"

Ron glanced between Link and Hermione, before he took a deep breath and reached across the table, pulling something out of Hermione's bushy hair. Hermione looked up, eyes flashing, as Ron tossed the item to Link and bolted for the door, Hermione chasing close behind him.

Link glanced down, and used some of the tricks he had picked up to identify the item. "A blacksmith's rattle of smiting?" Huh, weird.

* * *

><p>14.7 (barryc100588)<p>

* * *

><p>Link came back from playing the Song of Storms to Guru-Guru as a kid, causing the well to drain. It was then that Link had a thought.<p>

"Where did the Song of Storms come from? I mean, in Termina, Flat composed it, but here, he and Sharp worked together to compose the Sun's Song. Guru-Guru says he learned it from me, and I learned it from him so I could teach it to him in the past so he could teach it to me so I could teach it to him- Agh, my brain hurts."

Navi sighed.

"I guess that's just one of the mysteries that will never be solved, Link."

* * *

><p>14.8 (Masterweaver)<p>

* * *

><p>"Uh Link?"<p>

"Yeah Midna?"

"Are you juggling five swords in some juvenile attempt to impress me?"

"No, actually, I find the challenge of juggling bladed weapons to be worthwhile, as it helps me exercise my awareness and dexterity as well as my forearm strength. I don't think I can go up to six for a few loops, though..."

* * *

><p>14.9 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi yawned as she awoke, in both meanings of the word. Glancing around, the world was a blur around her. "Ugh, damn you for getting me addicted to coffee, Link..." she groaned as she sat up and stretched, letting her loop memories guide her as she almost drunkenly hovered out of bed, pulling a bottle of what most fairies she had shown it to were referring to as 'The Black Potion' out of her subspace pocket. A long, long gulp later, the world slowly started to come into focus.<p>

It wasn't long before Navi's rebooting brain started to notice things a bit odd. Two came to mind rather quickly, as she stared at the bottle of coffee in her hand. 'Huh... Am I wearing nail polish? I usually can't tell, what with the glowing and all... and since when did I have a bottle this small? I can lift it one handed...'

Nearly a full minute later, her eyes shot wide open as her brain managed to process her thoughts, and was nearly instantly working at top performance. Only the mystical properties of the bottle kept it from shattering as it fell from her grasp, forgotten as she rocketed outside to the stream.

Her reflection revealed many things. First, she could actually see herself. Usually she was glowing so brightly, like all other fairies, that any attempt to take in her own appearance only resulted in eye strain. But now? She could finally see what she looked like! Her facial features were sharp, and slightly otherworldly, striking blue eyes just a bit larger in scale than any other major Hylian race she had ever seen, and ears shorter than Link's, but somehow pointier. Also of note was her long blue hair, lighter than her eyes, if barely, and seemingly swaying in a breeze that did not exist, almost as if unsure whether it wished to acknowledge gravity as a thing. Her body was clad in what seemed to be a cross between a dark blue Zora tunic, and a Shiekah bodysuit, wrapped tightly around her. A tied green cloth belt held it all closed, and if one looked closely, she was covered in half hidden pockets and pouches. Twin shortswords were tucked inside the belt, using it as a makeshift sheath.

All that was only secondary in her eyes however, as trembling hands inspected her face, and lifted small leaves and acorns around her to eye level to inspect.

She could hardly dare to believe it! It was her single greatest wish! The one she had never told anyone! And she could tell that with her fairy magic, it would always be hers forever! Her wings were gone, but who cared!? She used magic more to fly anyway! Eyes filling with unshed tears of joy, a manic grin slowly spread across her face as it sunk in, and a moment later, both fists were thrust into the air in victory.

"I'm TALL!" she whooped.

"Yeah yeah, rub it in..." a male green fairy muttered from the window, back inside the hut.

* * *

><p>14.10<p>

* * *

><p>Link groaned as he pulled himself free of the bookcase. He wasn't quite sure if he had Awoken prior to hitting the case, or if it had happened directly after. He did know, however, that he was nowhere near as beaten up as he should be from that sort of impact.<p>

He flexed his hand. There was no link to the Triforce, so he was out of Hyrule. However, on closer observation, there was some form of link with a force not unlike the Triforce, but it was diluted.

*Flash*

Knowledge rushed into his mind across the link, feeling both like and unlike normal Loop memories. Apparently, he was Servant Archer, summoned in the Holy Grail War, fighting to claim the prize of a single, unlimited wish from the Holy Grail.

'Meh, the Triforce is better.' Link chuckled to himself as he brushed himself off. Still, that gave him enough info to work with. This Loop sounded familiar, he would have to check his PADD later.

The door burst open, and a pigtailed girl rushed into the room. Words rushed into Link's mind, and his mouth moved almost of its own accord.

"I am Servant Archer. I say unto you, are you my Master?"

Rin Tohsaka blinked, then nodded.

* * *

><p>Link hummed to himself has he floated along in this nifty Astral Form behind his master and her two new companions. So far, he had had one battle, and it had been somewhat lackluster. He had fought the Lancer of this war, and while Lancer was certainly tough, faster than Ghirahim and just as strong, he just wasn't able to stand up to Link. Apparently, being summoned as a Servant gave you a boost in skills from your personal Legend. While no-one on this planet knew of Link's story, he was essentially <em>The<em> Hero for his entire world, with a legend that stretched across centuries. He had been handing Lancer his arse, right up until Lancer had broken off to stab the redhead that was now walking next to Rin. Shirou Emiya, a name that was really ringing bells, but Link hadn't found a point to pull out his PADD in private yet to look him up (it didn't work when he was Astralized, unfortunately).

"GRAAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

A monstrous roar echoed through the streets around them, just as a massive form landed in front of them. It was...big. A mountain of stone-hard muscle, carrying a tiny white-haired girl on its shoulder. The girl giggled.

"Sorry, onii-san. You are going to have to die now." With that, she leapt down, landing lightly on the ground, and the massive man charged.

The girl in blue, Saber, that Shirou had apparently summoned to fight Lancer, leapt to intercept, managing to deflect the blow into the street.

"Archer! Get out here!" Rin stumbled back, pulling Shirou back as well. Shirou was looking rather like he had been hit over the head by a two-by-four, utterly confused with what was happening.

Link grinned. This looked like the perfect opportunity to try out a new equipment combination he had been working on. He turned solid, just in front of Rin and Shirou, and quickly pulled a mask out of his Subspace Pocket. It was blue, with some yellow-stripes on the top. The Machamp Mask. He had gotten it a couple of Loops ago, in that bizarre Pokemon variant, with...The Happy Mask Professor. Link stifled a shiver and pulled the mask on, feeling the sheer strength of the Machamp flowing into him.

Next, he pulled four blades from his Pocket. Each of them was a Biggoron Sword, almost as long as he was tall, though only one of them was a natural, unmodified Biggoron Sword. One of them was the Master Biggoron Sword, infused with holy power. Another was the Tyrant Biggoron Sword, from a flip-flopped variant where he had been a warrior fighting to revive Demise (he had heel-face turned at the end, the look on Demise's face had been so~o satisfying). It was infused with the dark power of the Interlopers. The fourth blade was crafted using the same techniques that made the Mirror Shield, making it the Mirror Biggoron Sword. He swung them through some experimental swings, then leapt forward into battle.

Immediately, it became clear that, even with the strength of a Machamp behind him, Berserker was tougher, stronger, and even quicker than he was. Luckily, it was also obvious that Link was simply more skilled. Each of Berserker's devastating blows was turned aside to smash some poor defenseless asphalt, rather than Link or Saber's body. Speaking of Saber, she was making good use of Link's ability to deflect Berserker's blows, darting in and cutting apart Berserker's skin before darting out. Unfortunately, it all seemed to be cosmetic damage at this point, aside from a powerful cut that had almost decapitated him.

"You can't beat Hercules! He's the strongest ever!"

Hercules. Greek legend and one of the greatest and strongest heroes to ever exist. At least in this world. And, thanks to the mysterious source of knowledge Link had, he knew a bit about Hercules' powers. Specifically, the power of his 12 Labors. Apparently, he could be killed 11 times before it would actually stick. Great.

Link grinned. If there was one thing he had perfected, it was wearing down seemingly unbeatable bosses. Stepping into one of Berserker's swings, he brought the Mirror Biggoron Sword up and pushed some power into it. It flared, and the massive stone blade was knocked sharply backwards. Berserker stumbled, just barely, but it was enough time for Link to step forward and bring his Master Biggoron Sword down.

"MAAAA!"

The shockwave of the attack knocked Rin and Shirou over behind him, and sent Berserker stumbling back a couple of steps, a massive gash torn across his chest. That had to have taken at least one of his lives. Still, in an instant, Berserker was back, lashing out strong as ever, and Link had to backpedal a bit to properly block the massive stone slab.

"Get them Hercules!" The little girl shouted from the sidelines. Link grit his teeth as Berserker seemed to speed up even more, his blade smashing into Link's guard, and actually driving through to slash his shoulder. It was only his reflexes at pulling away that kept it from ripping his arm off, enhanced musculature or not.

'Right, and that ends playing fair.' Link pulled on his inventory again. Four metal gloves appeared on each hand, a pair of winged boots on his feet, and a cape made of feathers on his back. He twisted, bringing one of his blade around to clash against Berserker's stone sword, and was pleased to note that his strength was now only slightly less than Berserker's. 'Perfect.'

Ilya gaped at the scene. Berserker had just been breaking through that strange lizard-man Archer's defenses when the Archer had revealed some armor and a cape and vanished in a blur of speed. Archer had almost immediately appeared behind Berserker, and proceeded to tear him open with several devastating sword strikes. She felt two of Berserker's lives vanish before he managed to turn and face the threat. Archer had then leapt up and over Berserker, taking another life with a powerful cross-slash attack to Berserker's head. This was too much. Berserker was supposed to be the strongest!

"Berserker, we're leaving!" As Berserker broke off, scooped her up, and dashed off, Ilya scowled. She would find out what went wrong and come back. Onii-san had to die!

Link stretched as he turned back to normal, quickly chugging a red potion to heal his shoulder. He grinned as he turned back, to see both Shirou and Rin staring at him in shock.

"Well, that was..."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Rin's angry shout cut across Link. She was breathing heavily, a single finger shakily pointed at Link. "You...you said you were an Archer?!"

Link blinked. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean archery is all I am good at. I could probably have been in this war as Saber, or Rider. Maybe Caster. Maybe Berserker too, not sure though." He shrugged as he thought about it. "Assassin might be a stretch, but with the Stone Mask..." He lapsed into thoughtful silence while the rest of them stared at him.

"...ha...hahahaHaHaHAHAHAHA!" The silence was broken by Rin, who began laughing maniacally. Link looked at her with worry as she started ranting about 'doomed' and 'eat it, priest'. Maybe his Master for this war wasn't quite right in the head. Something to look into, anyway.

* * *

><p>One Holy Grail War Later...<p>

* * *

><p>Link winced. He hadn't escaped the barrage of golden weapons unscathed, though he had avoided the worst of the blast. The blond guy who shot them at him started ranting about being King and how the world was a dog or something, which gave Link time to pull his trump card out of his pocket. If this didn't work, he would see about trying for a Bug Net Distraction for the win.<p>

He pulled the cork out of the bottle he had pulled out and chugged it down. It was a modified potion of haste, infused with Pegasus seeds, as well as hairs from Sonic and a few feathers from Rainbow Dash. He had tried collecting some sort of crystalized Speed Force, but hadn't managed yet. Still, even if it was incomplete, it would be plenty to show this guy how a true Archer fought.

After finishing the potion, he pulled out his bow and the first of many, many bomb arrows.

* * *

><p>Seven seconds, ten bows, and nine thousand, six hundred and twenty eight bomb arrows later, a burned, armorless, and thoroughly unconscious Gilgamesh lay at the bottom of a crater that had taken the place of the park they had been battling in. Idly, Link finished firing light arrows into the black tar like substance that had been unearthed by Gilgamesh's...explosive defeat. The tar hissed and died with a faint scream Link recognized as the agonized death cry of pure evil. Walking down to the center of the pit, he fired a single snake-themed arrow into Gilgamesh's chest, rapidly turning him to stone. 'That ought to hold him till the end of the Loop, I hope. And Zelda said my Gorgon arrows were a waste of magic.'<p>

* * *

><p>14.1 - Though the corruption may be gone, their hearts still yearn for EEEVIL!<p>

14.2 - Simple exposition into one of Link's _many _hobbies.

14.3 - Naruto's calm evaporated completely when faced with the rogue Sannin, Cuccomaru.

14.4 - In which Midna discovers that, while it is plenty dark, Subrosia is much too hot for her.

14.5 - Say what you will about his parenting skills, Genma Saotome is the original Kung-Fu Panda.

14.6 - Nothing is as exciting as finding another bottle.

14.7 - It's a paradox wrapped in a contradiction, tied up in a wibbly-wobbly overused metaphor.

14.8 - Next step, chainsaws.

14.9 - It's the little, er, big things in life that count.

14.10 - Link's Noble Phantasm: Overkill!


	15. Chapter 15

**The Legend of Zelda Time Loops: In Which Much Lunacy Occurs**

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. I most especially don't own the moon, so girls, don't ask me to lasso it for you.

* * *

><p>15.1 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared at the Lizalfos.<p>

The Lizalfos stared back, trying the hardest it could to not to quake in fear. He had heard stories about the green swordsman. They said he could wreck a canyon with a single hand. Tales of an inhuman monster that sliced through the forces of the Tinglian army. And he had thought them wrong.

Until a monster that fit the story's exact description had stepped before him. There was no telling what it would do.

Something glimmered above the Lizalfos, causing his head to jerk up. He barely had the chance to widen his eyes before an energy blast slammed him to the ground, leaving a smoldering crater.

Link didn't relax. The energy blast hadn't come from him, wasn't the yellow of a Light Arrow, didn't dissolve into the pixelated squares of Twili magic, nor leave smoke trails of a bomb. Was this another enemy?

He looked up. There was nothing up but a cloudless sky and the moon.

That, and he was in an open field. There was nowhere where an archer could have sniped the Lizalfos from above. Where had the shot come from?

"HI! I CAN USE MAGIC TOO!" said a voice overhead.

Oh.

* * *

><p>15.2 (LordCirce &amp; generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stumbled briefly as he entered the Sanctuary where the Sword of the Goddesses was kept. It had been a rather long time since he had spent a Loop as a quadruped (outside of being a wolf), and he was still getting used to the ways his knees bent. He was currently a pegasus (this Loop was obviously some sort of fused loop with the Equestrian Loops) but so far he didn't sense anyone else being awake.<p>

While having wings and four legs at the same time was unusual, the loop so far had been an interesting fusion between baselines. According to his loop memories, instead of Din, Nayru, and Farore creating Hyrule, it had been the Goddesses of the Sun, Moon, and Stars.

However, the Goddess of the Stars, Serafina, had been twisted by a dark force from deep beneath the Earth (obviously Demise or his replacement). She had attacked her sisters, calling the stars to fall to the earth in the form of the twisted Changelings, and taken the name Chrysalis. Eventually, her sisters, Celestia and Luna, had succeeded in sealing her away, but they had both exhausted their power doing so, and had vanished shortly thereafter.

He glanced up at the dais, and was only somewhat surprised to see two items waiting for him rather than one. It appeared that this Loop he would be wielding both a Sword and a Shield of the Goddesses. He wondered if they would both have spirits, or if there would only be a single spirit between them.

'Well, no time like the present to find out.' Link approached the sword first and examined it. Its hilt was a darker shade of blue than the Master sword and it had a lunar motif, marking it as the gift waiting for the hero from Luna. Gently, he reached out and nudged it with his hoof.

There was a flash, and something materialized out of the sword. Something round, gray, and _grinning_.

"HELLO, FRIEND!"

'Oh no. No, don't tell me that...' Link groaned as he took in the spirit floating in the air above the sword. The round spirit. The round, grinning spirit with a pointy nose.

"Of course," Link's voice was tired and flat. "Of course The Moon would be the spirit of the Lunar Blade. Why not?!" Link's hair and wings stuck out at slightly odd angles as he rolled onto his back, cracked up and started laughing.

The Moon looked around, its expression unchanging, before turning towards the newly materialized form of the sun spirit. "WILL HE BE OK, OTHER FRIEND?"

Sunset Shimmer, freshly Awakened, stared at Link for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Eh, he's a Hero. He'll probably pull through."

* * *

><p>15.3 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"HI, FRIEND! DO YOU KNOW HOW TO BAKE A PIE?"<p>

Link paused his dash through across Hyrule Field to equip a noise-cancelling item he called the Earplugs.

"WOW, ME NEITHER! WE'RE SO ALIKE!"

* * *

><p>15.4 (OracleMask)<p>

* * *

><p>Nightmare Moon landed with a grunt and a puff of suddenly displaced moon dust. Glaring, she looked up just in time to see Equestria slide suddenly away - Celestia was pushing her moon out of the way of her precious sun, treating the orbiting body that belonged to HER as if it were refuse to be discarded. The Elements of Harmony (another thing to have betrayed Nightmare Moon this day) held her down on the lunar surface, and refused to let her put the moon back into it's rightful place.<p>

This cage, however ironic, would not hold her forever. And when Nightmare Moon was free, she would take back her rightful place on the throne of Equestria -

Nightmare Moon lost her train of thought as the rocky outcropping she had landed on shuddered. It was a surprisingly large outcropping, come to think of it...

"OH! I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE FOR A SECOND!"

Nightmare Moon turned and looked behind her.

"HI!"

* * *

><p>Celestia had prepared for Nightmare Moon's return for a thousand years.<p>

What she hadn't prepared for, however, was a frazzled-looking Nightmare bringing along a 'friend'.

"HI! DO YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND TOO? MY FRIEND NIGHTMARE SAYS YOU'RE REALLY FUN TO SPEND TIME WITH!"

The Moon hovered next to Canterlot Castle, peeking in the windows and grinning.

"I will vow to never try and cast the land into eternal night ever again as long as I draw breath," Nightmare Moon said in a VERY tired voice, "All you have to do is trade me the sun for the moon."

* * *

><p>15.5 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>"Zelda? Why is the moon wearing a crown?"<p>

"Haven't you heard? The coronation is tomorrow!"

* * *

><p>15.6 (Masterweaver)<p>

* * *

><p>"I am the master sage," intoned the old man. "You, great hero, must find the seven spirit swords."<p>

Link shook his head. Well... this is different.

* * *

><p>15.7<p>

* * *

><p>"What did you say?" Ganondorf glared down at the Goron in front of him. It always gnawed at his pride when the various races of Hyrule defied him. It was a character flaw he should work on...but he really wouldn't.<p>

"I can't give you the Spiritual Stone." Darunia grumbled out.

"And why, pray tell, can't you?" Ganondorf grinned evilly. "I am sure I can provide plenty of incentive."

Darunia rubbed his stomach. "Well, you see, a couple days ago, I got really hungry. It looked so good, and it tasted even better." Snapping out of a slightly dazed trance, Darunia sighed. "The stone still hasn't passed through me yet."

Ganondorf stared at him blankly for several moments. "I...never mind. You can keep it." Link could have that one. Yeeck.

* * *

><p>15.8 (generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link stared at the giant rock blocking the way to the Dodongo's Cavern.<p>

And the hungry Goron devouring it.

Climbing its face, he bit a chunk off the left side. He gnawed on the top. He punched the rock, making a Goron fist-sized hole, and vacuumed up the rock fragments at a rate of 0.6 Kirbies. He took out a fork and knife and began cutting away sections of the rock, plopping them into his mouth.

Wait, what?

Link stared quizzically at the fork and knife, causing the Goron to momentarily pause his intense work. "Is something wrong, Brother?" it asked.

Link shook his head. "Does that knife cut through rock?"

"All knives do that. Do you not have one of your own?"

Link shook his head again, and the Goron jumped down from the rock. A few fragments of rock hurled their way down the mountainside on impact. He held out his hands.

"Here, brother. You can have mine! I have another set at home that I can use."

**You got the Goron's Cutlery! **

**These utensils can cut through the thickest rocks! Too bad you can't eat them...**

* * *

><p>15.9 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>Luffy in the Great Sea, Conclusion<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf has had many unpleasant awakenings. Waking up just as Link set off his Cucco Bombs was one of the most unpleasant ones in recent history. Up to this point, waking up in Utero was the worst. However, this particular loop would be long remembered. Apparently he was currently locked in battle with someone, probably Link as evidenced by the sword in his hand. He was in the Great Sea loop as he recognized his surroundings. For the briefest second, he almost allowed himself to smile since this Link was the least likely to be awake, what with the Triforce of Courage buried under the ocean in pieces. This was his vacation loop...no Malon with her cucco horde, Zelda probably far away, and an entire ocean to sail away into the sun.<p>

That was when he finally noticed the mountain of flesh an inch from his face, traveling at a ludicrous speed. As his jaw snapped under the impact and his body started flying away from his private pirate island, his loop memories caught up and his rage returned. Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hats Pirates and the only known looper who enjoyed fighting Bobobo, had replaced Link.

* * *

><p>(one hour ago)<p>

Tetra cursed as another cannon ball tore a chunk out of their railing. Their own cannons were targeted at a weak point in the fortress wall where a wooden block had been erected. The pirate's shots were true, however, as ball after ball landed right where Tetra pointed. Senza proved his worth as he steered the ship to avoid most return fire and any that made it through only hit non-essential areas.

Elsewhere, Luffy was having a grand old time as wave after wave of Moblins, Bokoblins and Miniblins rushed him. These days, his Haki could take out most non-loopers up to the vice-admiral's level. That these creatures didn't even notice meant he could cut loose a bit. As he bombarded the surrounding area with Gatling punches, soon the great ocean was raining Moblins in as far away areas as Dragon Roost Isle. Then, his pocket started vibrating. His hand dug into his pants and pulled out the pirate charm Tetra had given him. He hardly noticed the Miniblins swinging their tridents at him as he dodged using Kenbushoku Haki or Mantra which allowed him to predict his opponents movements before they made them.

Tetra's voice echoed from the stone, "Luffy, when I said undetected, what part did you fail to understand?"

Luffy replied without missing a beat, "All of it."

A scream echoed from the stone, "IDIOT! I'll deal with your stupidity later. Now, I need you to destroy those search lights. We're trying to get to you for a quick escape when the time comes, but those lights are pinning us down out here."

He nodded. His mouth curled into a delighted grin as he pocketed the charm again. His gaze landed on the surrounding Miniblins, which made them pause, "Sorry, everyone, but I can't play with you anymore. I'll do this quick."

His hand lashed out to his right, sending a wave of rubbery flesh up his arm then back down. His body started glowing red as he muttered, "Second...Gear..."

And like that, his hands blurred even faster than before as his gatling fists rained on the creatures without mercy. Within a second, nothing besides the future Pirate King stood on the landing. He bit his right thumb and muttered, "Third...Gear..."

* * *

><p>Ganondorf was drawn from his private quarters as his fortress in the Sea shook violently. He ignored it first time, but by the third time his curiosity got the better of him. He made his way onto the balcony overlooking the fortress courtyard, only to see portions of his fortress gone where those searchlights had once been. His eyes were drawn to a familiar green outfit from ages long ago. His mouth curled into a grin, since the master sword could do no harm against him in his present state, what with two of the sages dead. Still, the seal was still in place, meaning his magic could not be used. However, his strength should be enough to deal with this one boy.<p>

He leapt over the railing and landed soundlessly across from Luffy, "I commend you for making it this far. You have great skill, defeating my pirates and wreck my fortress. But this is where it ends. I will-"

His speech cut out as a fist impacted his nose, sending him careening into the nearest fortress wall and crushing it to dust. Luffy blinked, "Who was this guy again? Bowser? Nah, he keeps his speeches short. Giovanni?"

Moments later, the King of Darkness broke through the rubble and dusted away the broken pieces, "Your punches are strong, boy, but they cannot pierce the darkness that protects me!"

Luffy looked at his fist, then Ganondorf, "I see. So you're darkness then?"

Ganondorf laughed, "Yes I am. Your punches can never affect me."

Luffy gave a confident smile, "Then I shall be the light."

His hand flew backwards and was coated in Haki, "Gum Gum no-"

A second later, Ganondorf's laughter faded, "It's useless, boy, didn't you-"

He stopped, noticing the boy's hand had turned brilliant red, then white. Luffy finished, "RED...HAWKE!"

And Ganondorf went flying backwards. This time instead of hitting a wall, he crashed into the nest over the prison, shattering it to pieces. Luffy's hand retracted, then he blinked, "Oh yeah, I had to keep everyone distracted so they don't find Tetra and the others as they rescue the girls."

The stone in his pocket screamed, "Are you trying to get us killed, you fool!"

Behind her, the voices of her underlings could be heard faintly, "Miss Tetra, that stone's been in your family for generations, crushing it won't affect Luffy at all."

With an application of his rubber abilities, he was soon flying towards the nest, only for Ganondorf to appear out of the smoke hanging over the battlefield, sword extended and ready to slice. Luffy just grinned, "Hardening."

The sword bounced off Luffy's hands, sending him reeling backwards a bit as Luffy landed across from him. Ganondorf paused for a second to gaze at his opponent, "Who are you, boy?"

Luffy nodded, "Monkey D. Luffy."

Ganondorf returned the nod, "I will remember your name. Have you heard the legends of the land of Hyrule? I was there, trying to conquer it, and I was winning. But I was denied, denied bringing my people Hyrule and saving them when the ruling family flooded the country with their wish upon the triforce."

Luffy just stood there, erect and unmoving as he listened, "They destroyed Hyrule to prevent me from saving my people. Could you possibly understand this?"

The boy nodded, "I understand. I too would do anything for my comrades and friends. But I'm not here to fight for the Royal family."

His eyes were unflinching as they met the dark king's, "I'm here because you kidnapped girls and took them from their home. And you would not stop, no matter who you hurt on the way."

"I'm trying to find the last descendent of Zelda's line-"

Luffy gritted his teeth, then bit his thumb, "Gear...Third...!"

His hand became massive, the size of a giant, and then was hardened into steel as his hand flew backwards, "Gum Gum no-"

Ganondorf dashed forward with the skill of a seasoned swordsman. And with finality, the fist flew forward, "Elephant gun!"

An instant before the attack struck, Ganondorf's defenses dropped strangely, which caused the attack to be even more devastating as he was flung to the stars.

* * *

><p>Tetra's pirates had taken the two girls back to their ship. They would certainly get a sizable bounty out of at least one since she was the daughter of the richest noble on Windfall Island. Tetra herself decided to see on Luffy and bailing him out of trouble if needed. She arrived shortly after Ganondorf acknowledged Luffy as a worthy opponent and listened as Luffy was doing this just to help those girls. Her mouth gaped at him. Did that mean he wouldn't ransom them back for money? What kind of a pirate was he? She felt her heart leap as the pirate king crushed Ganondorf and sent him on a one way trip around the world, "Incredible."<p>

Luffy turned to her and gave her a V for victory, "Thanks."

Tetra blushed, "Y-You're still an idiot though."

There was an awkward silence for several seconds before she was able to face him, "W-what are you going to do now?"

Luffy flung his arms up and wide, "Go on an adventure! Find some comrades, start a pirate crew and reclaim my title here as King of the Pirates!"

Tetra shook her head and gave him a wink and and smirk, "Well, you want to travel with us until you find your comrades? We could always use someone to fight the tough battles."

Luffy tilted his head, "But I'm the captain of my crew. Wouldn't working under you mean I couldn't be King of the Pirates?"

She shrugged, "You can have the title of Pirate King, but I get all the money."

Luffy bellowed a huge laugh, "You remind me of Nami from home. Sounds like fun!"

* * *

><p>Epilogue, several weeks later<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf, Pirate Warlord of the Seas, was happy once again. He had finally caught up to Tetra and her pirates, from which he discerned Luffy had joined her crew. Using his dark powers, he had commandeered the Bellum's Ghost Ship and subduing the creature of darkness to serve under him as first mate. He shouted between the two ships, "Captain Tetra, surrender your underling, Straw Hat Luffy, and I will spare the rest of your crew."<p>

Tetra and her crew chuckled as Luffy climbed up to the starboard side of the ship, "You again? I've already played with you once, why should I deal with you again?"

Ganondorf grinned, "Because you're a guest in my home loop. Come over and we shall have a proper battle!"

Luffy's eyes went wide with mirth, "Ooohhh, a looper! That's different."

With that, the boy started rolling his arm wide as Tetra approached, "What's he talking about, Luffy?"

Luffy gave her a side grin, "I'm not just the King of the Pirates, I'm also a time traveler."

Ganondorf was able to hear and almost corrected him, but thought better, "Close enough."

With that, the Great Pirate War began between the forces of darkness and the Tetra Pirates. Generations later, they would talk about the Pirate King and her captain, how they battled back to back against the very shadows of the world itself.

* * *

><p>15.10 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>"Malon, you need help," Link rubbed the side of his head.<p>

Before them stood several 13 foot cuccos who were covered in red feathers scurried around in the heart of Death Mountain, clucking away as if they weren't in the heart of an active volcano just a few feet away from lava. Malon looked affronted, "But it was a great success! Now they're even fire resistant."

Link shouted, "Now there's no way to kill them if they ever became irritated. Any more monster Cuccos you want to make?"

Malon tapped her chin, "No, I've already succeeded in one of my final experiments."

Link's face turned pale, "What?"

The rancher gave a wink, "Those Red Cuccos also have DNA from Ysalamir from that Star Wars loop. They're flame resistant, and immune to force based attacks."

Link deadpanned, "Why didn't you just make them force sensitive while you're at it?"

Malon blinked, "Hey, that's not a bad idea!"

Link slapped his face in frustration. If it took a million loops, he was going to make Sakura pay for making Malon her apprentice.

* * *

><p>15.1 - Gives a new meaning to "moonbeams".<p>

15.2 - Gives a new meaning to "crescent edge".

15.3 - Gives a new meaning to "pie in the sky".

15.4 - Gives a new meaning to **ENOUGH! WE DEMAND AN END TO THESE RIDICULOUS WITTICISMS!** Ok, Ok, don't get your tail in a knot, Luna.

15.5 - So, would that make it a Moon-arch? *_BZZAT_* Ah! I'm sorry Luna, I'm sorry!

15.6 - Well, it looks like sword juggling will come in handy now.

15.7 - Link was puzzled why Ganondorf didn't want to shake his hand for several Loops afterwards.

15.8 - If it can cut, Link can weaponize it.

15.9 - And thus ends Luffy's sojourn on the Great Sea. Perhaps we will see some of his crew again...

15.10 - Hey, that's a great idea, chicken that can roast itself!

Oh, and just to be clear, the Moon is not a Looper...it just kind of pops up where you least expect.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Legend of Zelda Time Loops: Projects are Completed, and Misunderstandings Occur**

Disclaimer: No, no, no, no, no, I will not sell the Legend of Zelda franchise to you. This is both because I don't own it (and thus make no money off of it), and because if I did own it, I certainly wouldn't just hand it off.

* * *

><p>16.1 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi watched as Link pulled item after item out of his Hat-Space Pocket. With a groan, she rolled over onto her back, her head draping down off the ledge of the windowsill as the yard outside grew more and more cluttered. "Link, I'm boooooored! You've been sorting that stuff for hours! When are you going to DO something with it?"<p>

Link just grinned. "Almost finished. I've been storing this stuff up for ages. Blessed fires in amounts that would have the sages warning the world of the second coming of the Trinity just by the feel of it's power! Mountains of ore, each piece identical to the others in its pile, and each the only one of its kind to have ever existed! Sand of Time, enough to forge a thousand new Ocarinas of Time! I even melted down Dark Link's sword and the Helix Blade! This is it Navi! I have gathered the rarest and most powerful materials from across all of space and time, all for one purpose. I am going to forge the greatest sword to have ever existed!"

Navi glanced over the piles of priceless materials with a yawn. "Hmm... How did you convince Midna to give you a set of the Fused Shadows?"

Link froze, then with slowly building panic he tuned to look over his gathered components.

A few minutes later, Navi was having to fight back giggles as Link angrily dumped everything back in his hat, muttering every curse he knew in five languages under his breath.

* * *

><p>16.2 (rick1497)<p>

* * *

><p>Negotiations were finally complete, and Zelda was quite pleased with herself. After seven decades of research, three crashed loops, over a hundred of Ravio's bracelets, and a wish from the Triforce, it had finally happened. Hyrule now had a trade treaty with Lorule. Now if only she could find a way to unite the royal families, she really wanted to see if she could start a loop as the princess of two dimensions.<p>

* * *

><p>16.3 (Masterweaver)<p>

* * *

><p>Link walked into Lonlon ranch with a smile. "Good morning, Malon, how are you... this... loop?"<p>

The red-haired woman was glowering at him, arms crossed. "Out. Now."

"Um..." Link held up his hands and slowly backed away, trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

"And you can forget about taking Epona out 'riding' ever again!"

"What?!" The hero of time stopped his retreat, glaring at the rancher. "But she's my horse, she and I have done lots of things together!"

"Oh really?" Malon growled, storming up to him. "And just how 'close' are you two, huh?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

"The kind that needs to be asked!"

"Why does it need to be asked?!"

"Well, after what you did with Fluttershy-"

"What?!" Link held up a hand. "Whoa whoa, hold up, how did you hear about-?"

Malon rolled her eyes. "She's replaced Epona this loop, we started talking about your visit to Equestria, she might have let slip something about your endurance, and maybe I pressured her a bit..." The woman paused, realizing what she was saying, and backpedaled. "You're missing the point!"

"We were the same species!" Link threw up his hands. "Well we were at the time, and-"

"No, see, that doesn't cut it. How do I know you won't treat Epona like-?"

"Look she reminded me of you, alright?!"

Malon blinked. "...what?"

Link sighed. "Nice girl, good with animals... happened to be a pony... this was the middle of my hundred loops of silence and you know that anchors, or subanchors I guess, get lonely loops. She was... there, alright?"

The red haired woman stared at him for a while, her face frozen in shock. "But... you and Zelda...?"

"It's... complicated." Link groaned. "In practically every life, baseline, I've got an average of one romantic interest aside from Zelda. Sometimes it's two, occasionally it's three... and I mean serious romance, not just flirting. And the majority of them aren't looping, and..." He flustered his hands around. "I try my best to avoid romance because of it, but I'm, well... I like happy endings, okay? I like to be a nice guy and... goddesses, I'm messed up."

Malon sat down on a crate, tapping the wood as she processed what he had said.

"...We... all of us, all the Hyrule loopers... we're going to need to have a serious discussion about this."

"Yeah..." Link shrugged. "Well... I'm pretty sure Epona-our Admin, I mean-is dating Equestria's admin, and Equestria is kind of a sanctuary loop. Maybe I can ask her to arrange for us to spend a loop there so we can... figure this all out."

"...yeah." Malon took a breath. "...I'm still not letting you ride Fluttershy while she's here though."

"Ha, fair enough."

"And I expect you to treat Epona with respect!" Malon added firmly. "She's my little filly and I won't have you-"

"Wait! Wait wait wait, hold up." Link held up a hand. "Your little filly?"

"Well, yeah. I raise her from foalhood, she's practically my daughter."

"...I kind of thought... you know, you objected to us being, uh... I mean, me being Hylian and Epona being..." Link trailed off.

Malon gave him a confused look.

"...you know what, never mind. I promise my relationship with Epona is strictly friendly and professional. Now for unrelated reasons I need to go get drunk." Link pulled out a sousaphone and warped away.

* * *

><p>16.4 (Masterweaver)<p>

* * *

><p>"Soooooo," Zelda drawled. "You and Ruto, huh?"<p>

"It was either that or start a war," Link grumbled.

"...I've never married a Zora before," the princess commented casually. "Maybe I can arrange it and see what happens...?"

* * *

><p>16.5 (rick1497)<p>

* * *

><p>Finally, it was complete. It took a long time, even working with a master craftsman, but Link finally had what he had been searching for since that one skyward sword loop. He had a specially made harness that would allow him to grip a sword's hilt in his mouth. Now he could adapt Zorro's three sword style if he had another loop with Fi, Navi, and Midna all being swords. Except, what if Tatle or the King of Red Lions, or one of his other companions, also started looping and became swords, how would he handle that?<p>

'Back to the drawing board, I guess.'

It had taken while to set up, and even longer to lure enough enemies, but Link was now ready. Using a 3D Maneuver gear he picked up in an Attack On Titan loop, he launched himself at the enemies. With a sword in each hand, one strapped to each leg, and one in his mouth harness, he had to improvise a fighting style. It took him seven loops to get it right, but he was ready in case he ever needed to wield five swords at once.

* * *

><p>Three loops later, he realized that he could have simply used a mask to transform into one of the various four armed species out in the multiverse.<p>

* * *

><p>16.6 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Link would deny it if asked, (Though Navi would totally confirm it), but he was actually pouting as he looked over the list of things he kept in his pocket. Navi sat on his shoulder with her arms crossed. "Oh come ON Link! You're just being childish! Who even cares!?"<p>

"It's a matter of pride Navi. I worked hard to get my mask collection to the size it is today. That not just one, but TWO people claim to have larger ones is too much to be ignored!"

"Ugh! Two out of how many!? Does it even matter?"

"Navi, I can forgive the robot. Takua has to save multiple worlds on a routine basis, but unlike me, more than half his tools to do the job are masks! It's like that saying. 'When your only problem is a nail, you tend to collect hammers'... Or something along those lines."

"I think you're misquoting it..."

"But the other guy? That's just insulting! Sure he has thousands, but only, like... TWO have any abilities at all! The others are just wood, metal, cloth or rubber! I refuse to accept that! I'll top him in quality AND quantity!"

"Shaggy makes a living unmasking people, you're never going to catch up! And besides, how common are magic masks anyway? If multiple copies don't count, how do you ever intend to gather more? You've combed the entire timeline a hundred times or more!"

Link paused, then brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Hey Navi?" he asked oddly calmly, stealthily taking the Ocarina of Time from his pocket. "You still have that cold you picked up in the mountains?"

"A little, yeah, but what does that have to do with anything? ...Link? ...Why are you looking at me like that?"

* * *

><p>16.7 (Masterweaver)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda walked calmly into the throne room, looking up at the throne with a smirk. "You're looking well Anchored today, mother."<p>

Zelda blinked, processed what her daughter had said, and put her head in her hands. "This is going to get confusing..."

* * *

><p>16.8<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf chuckled as he watched light envelop the "Hero of Time". Ganondorf had been watching from the forest outside of the temple through a crystal ball. Now, he had seven years until the Unawake Link would pop up to try and thwart him. More than enough time to put his plans into effect. Abruptly, Ganondorf had to duck away, dropping his orb as he did so, as a massive bandage-wrapped blade spun through where his head had been a moment before. He turned, and chuckled again.<p>

"So, you were the other Looper. I wondered why no-one stood up to oppose me."

Princess Ruto shifted, swinging her large blade up into guard position. "Well, I'm opposing you now."

Ganondorf's brow furrowed. "That's...Samehada, isn't it?"

Ruto nodded tersely. "Yeah. Naruto helped bind this version to me a couple Loops ago. Now, I'll take you down!" With that, she leapt forward, blade swinging.

Ganondorf snorted, bringing his own blade around to deflect the strike. "You may be skilled, but I have a thousand times your experience." He blocked aside another strike, before pressing forward and through her guard, piercing her stomach with his blade. "Now, your time in this Loop is done. I'll save you some photos of when I'm finished."

Ruto had time to smirk, before her form collapsed into water. Ganondorf stepped back, shaking the droplets off of his blade. "Of course, a water clone. So where...?"

"Water Prison Shark Dance Technique!"

A virtual wall of water sped through the trees around Ganondorf, sweeping him up and forming into a large sphere of water, almost as tall as the nearby temple. Ganondorf choked on mouthful of water in shock, before shaping a Bubblehead Charm around himself. He shook himself, and then considered the situation. He was underwater, facing a Zora, who was wielding an energy-eating sword.

'Nope, I'm out.' And with that thought, Ganondorf teleported away, a half a second before a massive scaled fin blade tore through the bubble his head had been in. Ruto, looking much more shark-like thanks to her fusing with Samehada, scowled.

"There goes the element of surprise."

* * *

><p>16.6 cont. (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>Link raised the ocarina to his lips and... dropped it, grinning. "Gotcha. Besides, I already have all the fairy masks I could ever use."<p>

"Damnit Link!" Navi fumed as she divebombed the laughing hero's head repeatedly. "Don't give me a heart attack like that!"

Link just kept laughing. Navi was fun to rile up like that. As for the masks, he may have combed his native timeline repeatedly but there were still variants and fused Loops out there. Plus... Navi had a point. Maybe the largest collection was out of reach. But the best collection? That was still very much a possibility.

* * *

><p>16.9 (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>"Ready, Fi?" Link asked his floating companion.<p>

"Yes," the spirit answered as she turned into a ball of light and flew directly in front of Link who then brought his hands together over the shining form with purpose and intent.

"Form Master Sword!"

* * *

><p>16.10 (Filraen)<p>

* * *

><p>A small ball of light entered the royal bedroom at Hyrule Castle "Princess..."<p>

"Hold it, Navi" the princess of Hyrule interrupted the fairy putting a palm in front of her. "Nothing of this 'princess' stuff."

"Right, Zelda." Navi waited until Zelda retracted her hand to continue. "I had a question: which was your first time Awake?"

Zelda blinked, "How so?"

"It's just that... it happened a few loops ago, we were with Fi and Midna. Link was telling about some of his earlier loops but at certain point he just stopped his tale and he told us he just doesn't remember that far back."

"Well, if you really want to know..." Zelda said in an uncharacteristic (for her current incarnation) teasing tone and then winked at her, "I was in the Great Sea as Tetra."

Zelda couldn't contain a chuckle at Navi falling from the air to her bed. It was too bad she couldn't see the stunned look she imagined Navi had at the moment, she was shining particularly bright.

Seeing Navi couldn't form words Zelda continued. "You've heard it: Link's sister, getting to find the Hyrulian ruins and restoring the Master Sword. I made all of that... I think; the point is when I awoke next as a princess I took the time in the Great Sea as a dream."

"A dream?" Navi asked incredulously.

"Yes," Zelda said as her voice calmed down and took a faraway look. "I may recall very little from that far back but I remember this much: there wasn't much sea around Hyrule and my loop memories felt more real at the time, memories which were more consistent with my royal duties, peoples and places I was living with. I took those memories as more than a mere dream though: I thought they were a vision, a warning about Ganondorf and the advice to give my trust to Link, a boy in green. You know how annoyingly confusing can visions get." Then Zelda took a expression between a smile and a smirk, "Link can be an idiot at times but he's trustworthy, if anything else."

"That's true" Navi agreed, in a more relaxed tone.

"But enough about me! This is about you, little firefly" Zelda said to Navi as she winked at her. "You seem to be worried to know if you were his first partner, am I right?" At Navi's lack of answer Zelda continued, "Don't be. If you value helping him so much, the question you have to ask yourself is if Link is willing to partner with you now. So Navi, what do you think?"

"I think... yes" Navi answered softly, almost as a whisper.

Taking extra cheer, Zelda decided to nail her point. "Then there you go. Just go find Link and... where is he, anyway?"

"Oh," Navi appeared to be blindsided to the question. "He's at the gardens. The royal gardener promised Link twenty rupees if he could cut all the grass in the fields near the castle before sundown and Link said 'why not?'"

Zelda couldn't help it, she started to laugh. "Hahahaha, an idiot alright. Just go see him now, Navi."

Navi had to to wait for her own laugh to recede a little to agree. "Alright, thanks Zelda." And then she took flight to the outside.

However, as she was nearing the window, Zelda spoke one last time. "And Navi? Link told me he was impressed with your new abilities, whatever those are. You'd want to show me one of these days."

Zelda was sure she wasn't imagining the smile in Navi as the fairy answered. "Sure, see you later Zelda."

* * *

><p>16.11<p>

* * *

><p>Link huffed as he hurried to keep up with Zelda.<p>

"Oi, short legs back here!"

Zelda looked back, a look of mock surprise on her face. "Oh dear. I have no idea what that must be like, trying to keep up with someone with longer legs who is in a rush. It must be so difficult for you."

Link huffed again, tossing his head so his leaves flipped out of his face. "Yeah, yeah, your sarcasm is not appreciated."

Zelda just smiled, while next to her, TK and Patamon both laughed. "Don't worry, Dekumon, I'm sure you'll grow up a bit when you Digivolve."

Link huffed again, grimacing as much as his mouth would allow. "I told you, just call me Link." He pressed forward, pulling up alongside the others. "Speaking of Digivolving, don't the Digimon usually start out as In-Training in your loop?"

TK shrugged. "Yeah, but some variants they start out as Rookies, or even Champions. Heck, there was one where their forms were reversed, with Seraphimon being Patamon's weakest form and Poyomon was his strongest."

Patamon nodded. "Bubble Blow was the most fearsome attack in existence."

TK grinned as he glanced sideways. "And I'm sorry, Dekumon, but I wouldn't want to slip up around the others."

Link groaned. "They can call me Link too..." He stumbled over a rock, and had to pick up his pace some more to keep up. He looked exactly like a young Deku Shrub, and it was somewhat frustrating, because his masks weren't working properly to shift him to a different form, and he didn't have hands to try and use the rings.

Zelda giggled, then grew somewhat pensive. "So, from my memories, Malon was replacing the other girl, Sora, but I don't think anyone else from our world was here."

TK nodded. "Yeah, everyone else is the same. Though Tai does have the yellow cape, so he might be his other self, or however that works." He then looked down at Link, who had tears running out of his eyes. "What's the matter, your wittle legs cramping up?"

Link shook his head/body. "No...but I just know Malon is going to have a Cuccomon or something. And it will end up giving her ideas."

* * *

><p>"Bwahahahahaha!" Link rolled from side-to-side, laughing at the top of his lungs. Behind him, TK and Patamon were snickering, while Zelda was trying to look disapprovingly at Link, while stifling her own grin.<p>

Standing in front of Link, Malon scowled. "Don't make fun of Batty-Kun. I think he looks very cute." As she spoke, she hugged a purple-and-pink DemiDevimon to her chest, while the bat Digimon struggled in her grip.

"I told ya, don't call me Batty-Kun. It's Vaati. Vaa-Ti." Vaati grumbled. "And why am I pink? I should be purple and black."

Link passed out from lack of air while Malon continued to coo over her partner.

* * *

><p>Zelda sighed. "Don't you think you are overusing that technique?" she asked, exasperatedly, as Link buzzed over his head.<p>

"No way!" Link cackled as he spun about in the air. He had finally figured out the instinct to use his Digimon techniques (he had been accidentally suppressing them with his previous experience as a Deku Shrub). Seed Spitter was pretty much exactly what he expected, but his secondary technique was what had him so excited. Flower Copter caused his head to bloom into a flower, which then began to spin and allowed him to hover through the air. He laughed as he did a mini flip, before stabilizing. "I am never walking again!" He really hoped this ability crossed over to his usual Deku form.

* * *

><p>"I hate you." Link glared at Zelda, who held up her hands.<p>

"Why are you blaming me? I didn't program your Champion form."

He groaned. "Yeah, I know. But...couldn't I have at least gotten arms?" He had been fighting the big teddy bear, Monzzymon or something, and had been doing pretty good with his aerial sniper routine of flying around with Flower Copter and attacking with Seed Spitter. However, the big bear had gone berserk before Link could manage to properly target the gear in its back. Link had been forced to fly down to defend Zelda (who insisted on going 'native' for this Loop). They had triggered the Digivolution, and now here he was as ShrubDekumon. His main body was maybe twice as big as it was before, which brought him up to waist height, as opposed to knee height. His leaves, on the other hand, had increased exponentially in size and volume. The massive bush on his head was now three times the size of his body and super thick.

"Vaati is never going to let this go." Link grumbled as he popped into the ground, activating his Foliage Defender ability, which made the bush on his head hard as steel. A couple of the massive hearts the bear was throwing around detonated against his leaf-do, but didn't do any damage. Link popped up, just in time to see a flash out of his eye. "Oh, come on!"

Zelda shrugged as she tucked a camera back into her Pocket. "Blackmail waits for no one."

* * *

><p>Link whistled, something his Rookie form was quite good for. "I hate to admit it, but I am kind of impressed."<p>

Beside him, Zelda and Malon both nodded as they watched Vaati work. Vaati had Devidramon as a Champion form (which was even more pink than his Rookie form). However, despite his somewhat off-putting appearance, Vaati had managed to browbeat the Devidramon that had been working for Myotismon into switching sides, and he was using his new minions to clear out the rest of the Digimon that had been keeping them from the gate to the Real World.

* * *

><p>"A TREE!?" Link screamed at the sky as his shiny new ultimate form was knocked aside by the giant Mammothmon he had been trying to fight. Luckily, he managed to stay upright, his four root-legs being good for balancing. "I'm the freaking Deku Tree! And I still don't have arms!"<p>

Zelda laughed from her position at the side as Link tried to grapple ("WITH NO ARMS!") with the giant mammoth that was still larger than he was. She felt kind of bad, but she knew that if Link got arms, he would just pop out one of his swords and cut his way through the whole Loop, and Zelda was enjoying the chance to go native for a Loop. Then, Link started to laugh.

"Oh, that is sweet." He reared back, pushing Mammothmon back a step, and then called out the name of his attack. "Wind of the Forest!" The leaves on his head began to dance about in an invisible breeze, which rapidly picked up into a gale force wind. The wind twisted about Mammothmon as Zelda realized what Link's attack gave him.

"Wind control...great, it's going to be that Wind Symphony Loop all over again." Link had decided to create a "Symphony of Wind" to take down every boss in the Great Sea. Largely, this had consisted of using tornadoes to bash the boss against various objects until they stopped moving. Zelda rubbed her brows. "And, there it is."

A massive tornado ripped up from underneath Mammothmon, hurtling the Digimon into the air. The tornado twisted around like a twirling lasso, before hurling the large mammoth out towards the sea. Link scowled as he heard the splash, while Zelda came over to his side.

"Darn, I was hoping to hit the MegaSeadramon out there."

* * *

><p>Zelda stared blankly at Link. "You want me to what?"<p>

"Let Malon fire a Light Arrow into you while you activate the Digivice. It should work to do that Warp-Digivolving thing."

"And if it doesn't work, I'll have a hole in me!"

Link waved his leaves. "Malon is a Super-Doctor or whatever, she can patch you up no problem."

Zelda glared at him for a moment. "One shot."

Link grinned (as much as his trumpet-mouth could), and nodded. Malon raised an eyebrow at Zelda, before pulling out a bow and light arrow. She lined up the shot, channeling as much light energy as she could into the arrow, while only pulling it back a small amount. Then, she released.

Zelda's first reaction was a flinch. Then, when she realized that she wasn't in pain, she focused on the energy. Pure light magic flowed through, opening up the channel of her power and pushing it through to the Digivice. Zelda's eye twitched as she realized just what the light magic was doing.

"I could have just cast a Light Enchantment on the Digivice!"

Link laughed. "I can't hear you, to busy Warp-Digivolving!"

When the light died down around him, the first thing Link noticed was probably the most important. "I have Arms! And a sword!" He pulled the wooden blade off of his back, and swung it back and forth. Behind him, energy pulsed as Malon pushed Light Magic into her own Digivice, which triggered Vaati's own Warp Digivolution.

Just then, the bushes at the edge of the clearing rustled, before Puppetmon leapt out. "Aha, I found yoooo...u..." He stumbled to a halt in the face of HeroDekumon and WindSorcerermon turning to stare at him. "Eheheh, I don't suppose you want to play?"

"DEKU CUTTER!"

"SPHERE OF SHADOWED SKY!"

"AHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p>16.12<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda smiled down at the small Deku Sprout that was currently glaring at her. Behind it, several of her guards lay in a heap on the ground, groaning from the thrashing the Sprout had just given them. After a few seconds, Zelda raised hand to her mouth in affected shock. "Oh my, could this be Sir Link, trapped in the form of a Deku Sprout? Are you unable to remove your Deku Mask?" Her eyes twinkled brightly. "Almost as if someone layered a contact triggered Permanent Sticking Charm on the inside of the mask?"<p>

Link's only response was a series of spat seeds, deflected by a blue crystalline barrier.

Zelda laughed, before dramatically raising her left hand to her head, the Triforce on the back of her hand glowing brightly. "The Triforce speaks to me. It says this tragedy could have been averted if, in another life, you hadn't dumped a pile of salmon and beetles in the Royal Bedchamber. Alas, that you did."

Link rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>16.13 (Pinklestia101, Edited by LordCirce)<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey Link?" asked his infamous pixie companion.<p>

"Yes Navi?" Link responded as he dodged another corrosive bubble attack. This was different from his usual battles and he was actually having quite a bit of fun.

"Why is Ganondorf a giant, demonic, gray, pegasus this loop?"

"No idea, just roll with it."

"GIVE ME BACK MY MUFFINS!" shouted the gray pegasus from the air as she charged a super attack. Aerial opponents were usually way easier to take down using arrows, thanks to some tricks he picked up from the Fire Emblem Loops, but this loop he had decided to win all his battles using an indestructible rock he got from one of his videogame like Loops.

"Hey Listen! What if we buy you as many muffins as you want?" Navi shouted, amplifying her voice as much as possible.

The cross-eyed pegasus paused, then nodded, smiling. "Okay!" Her super attack quickly dissipated into bubbles, which then popped.

"Navi! I was having fun!" Link whined, pouting like the bratty child he currently appeared to be.

* * *

><p>16.1 - Someday...Link will forge the Perfect Blade!<p>

16.2 - Today, Lorule. Tomorrow, the World! (Or at least the inhabited bits.)

16.3 - Um, yeah, misunderstandings all around. On the upside, Fluttershy found that Cuccos are not as mean as Angel Bunny.

16.4 - Oh boy, we're sailing into shipping war territory. Abort, abort!

16.5 - He figured it out when he remembered the Machamp Mask combo.

16.6 - Odd trivia for Shaggy's home loop: The mysteries are never the same twice in a row. Something is always just a little bit different. Still, it keeps things interesting.

16.7 - Zelda didn't mind her other self setting her up on dates. It was just a little odd given that she was her daughter setting her up on them.

16.8 - Ruto's dad had a minor heart attack when he first met her new "pet".

16.9 - Go go Goddess Ranger!

16.10 - Oh, what abilities are those? Find out in Chapter 17.

16.11 - Here are the listing of Link and Vaati's digimon forms:

Stats:

Link

Rookie Form: Dekumon. Resembles your typical Deku Sprout. Seed Spitter fires a single seed from his mouth, which explodes in a flash of light. Flower Copter causes a flower to bloom on his head and spin, allowing him to hover in the air.

Champion Form: ShrubDekumon. Resembles an oversized Deku Sprout with a massive bush on top of its head. Seed Rush fires multiple seeds like a machine gun. Foliage Defender lets him pop underground and harden his leaves to create a defensive shell.

Ultimate Form: AncientDekumon. Resembles a thinner, more mobile version of the Deku Tree. Wind of the Forest create a wind through his branches that he can manipulate to attack. Deku Nut Bomber creates a large nut that he can throw out to detonate like a bomb.

Mega Form: HeroDekumon. Resembles Link's Teenage form, but made of wood, with a square mask in the shape of a Deku's face on his face. Deku Cutter causes him to spin around while swinging his sword, turning him into a whirling blade tornado. Mystery Seeds lets him pulls seeds out of a pouch on his side that perform various effects. Special Note: Has Arms.

Vaati

Rookie Form: DemiDevimon (Pink). An ordinary DemiDevimon, but purple with pink highlights. Demi Dart allows him to fire a large syringe filled with a virus. Black Wish creates a wave of dark magic with debilitating properties.

Champion Form: Devidramon (Pink). An ordinary Devidramon, that is violet all over, with dark purple eyes. Violet Claw fires off a crescent of violet, evil energy from his claws. Petrifying Glare sends out a beam from his eyes that can turn those caught in it to stone.

Ultimate Form: Karatenmon. A typical Karatenmon. Feather Flare fires feathers from his wings like a wave of darts. Chaos Winds allows him to swing his blades to create blades of cutting evil wind.

Mega Form: WindSorcerermon. Resembles Vaati's Wind Sorcerer Form, with the eye open and floating in the center of his robes. Sphere of Shadowed Sky creates a massive dark sphere of compressed wind, which he then hurls at his foe. Dark Gaze Beam causes a massive beam to fire from the eye in the middle of his chest, inflicting some harmful status on his foe.

16.12 - Revenge can wind up putting you in sticky situations. **AHEM**. Wha! Luna, you're still here?!

16.13 - Muffins: The Currency of Peace (Luna, if I give you a muffin, will you go back home? **PERHAPS.**)


	17. Chapter 17 - Special: Navi's Resolve

**The Legend of Zelda Time Loops Special Chapter: Navi's Resolve**

Authored by masterofgames

Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Legend of Zelda.

* * *

><p>17.1<p>

* * *

><p>Navi giggled to herself as she snuck away from Link. He was so focused on forging his little pet project that he hadn't even noticed her slipping off with a shard of one of the Master Swords he was trying to combine. A few more trips for some more conventional forging materials, and Navi was all set up in a little cave she had found.<p>

"Heh heh... Man, Link is going to be surprised when he sees this!" she grinned, pulling a set of fairy sized tools out of her pocket, placing them around a mini-forge made from the combination of fairy magic, embers of the Fires of the Goddesses, and the Spiritual Stone of Fire. "He thinks I don't see it. The way he looks at me when I try and give advice but realize he already knows. Don't see the pity in his eyes..." she muttered as she tugged a pair of tiny smithing goggles on, and slipped on a scrap of leather for an apron. "I know that look when I see it. 'Poor Navi!' he thinks! 'Her only real skill is completely worthless now! What's she going to do now?' Hmph... Think I'm worthless, will he?" she growled, hefting the hammer and flaring the forge, placing the shard inside. "Well! I'll show him! I'll show him all!" After a moment she blinked and frowned, hand on her chin. "... Wait, was that right? Hmm... Wow, I never noticed before, but time travel and reincarnation are hell on grammar." she pondered. "Well... it sounds right at least. (Ahem) I'll show him ALL!" she cackled, placing the final piece in place, a mold for a sword shaped cocktail stick. "Navi will NOT be useless, and will NOT be PITIED!"

Her maniacal laughter echoed through the tiny cave.

Link paused his work and perked his ears, tensing as a faint noise caught his attention. A moment later he smiled and relaxed, identifying the sound as Navi's laughter. "She's enjoying herself. That's a relief. She's been so moody lately, I was starting to think something was wrong. Good to see she's coping well." he chuckled, turning back to his work.

* * *

><p>17.2<p>

* * *

><p>Navi snarled as she hovered in the face of her target.<p>

"What do you MEAN you won't train me?! It's not like I'm asking you to teach me to replace you, I just need the one move!"

Her would-be instructor sneered and poked her away with a finger. "Little bug, in order to request something of someone, you must first have something that they themselves desire, be it currency, a service, a favor to call in, or simple good will. You have none of these things. Now go away. I am napping." he demanded, shifting his hat to cover his face.

Navi promptly landed, folding her arms with a smirk. "Oh, but I DO have something you want. Three things in fact." she called up to him. "One is your interest. You can try and hide it, but analysis is my specialty! You've never seen anyone like me before. 'What potential might this tiny creature posses?' you think to yourself." she grinned. "You wonder if my potential might rival your own skill someday. I know your type. What you desire above all else is a challenge! You've gotten so good, that nobody else even makes you break a sweat anymore. The only way you're ever going to face an opponent that skilled, is if you make one yourself, and you know it! I also have someone who thinks I'm worthless. And deep down, you want to know I'll prove him wrong!"

After a minute, the man slowly lifted his hat once more. "And the third thing?" he asked, piercing gaze locked upon her.

She glared back. "I have a sword. A sword that is filled with my resolve. And I would have it shown to you by crossing blades, just once. The language of the swordsman. Feel my resolve yourself and then turn me away, if you can!"

The man was still, simply gazing at her as he pondered his answer. Then he chuckled, and started to clap slowly. "Very well, little bug. You desire my technique?" he grinned as he stood, his cape catching the wind behind him as he towered over her. "You wish the power of the Greatest Slash?" An enormous fullblade strapped to his back was drawn, black as night and pointed straight at her in a perfectly steady hand. "Then draw your weapon, and prove you deserve to learn under Dracule Mihawk!"

* * *

><p>17.3<p>

* * *

><p>Navi grit her teeth as she reforged her sword yet again, luminescent sweat pouring from her brow. Countless loops had passed, and in each fused one, she sought out the greatest warrior in the lands. Her thirst to prove Link wrong meant she had learned well. She had drunk of their teachings like a sponge, and one by one her list of special techniques grew. But she left them with more than just teachings. Tiny shavings of metal, knocked free by the clashing of legendary blades, had painstakingly been gathered, and each had been mixed into her own as she crafted her weapon time and again. From Mihawk, she had obtained the Greatest Slash, and shavings from The Black Sword. Meta Knight had armed her with the Sword Beam, and a tiny flake of Galaxia, granting her weapon not only even greater power, but limited sentience, as the self aware holy blade met the merest fragment of Fi from the shard she started with. From an inattentive Link in several lucky variants for her, she studied the Skyward Strike, and reforged her weapon with the new abilities to split herself into up to four of herself, and dowsing abilities.<p>

There were exceptions of course. Like the time she had requested training from Julia Diggers. All she had gotten from her was a great deal of experience on how to get her ass kicked by both armed and unarmed foes alike, as well as a new figure, more muscular than she had ever dreamed she could be, and carefully honed reflexes, forged from pure paranoia and self preservation instincts.

Grudgingly, she had to admit that she had most likely gotten the most from that loop. She had gotten a lot of her resentment beaten out of her.

Not all of it though.

And now, all that remained was one last forging, to give her weapon the perfect shape.

Not a longsword, heavens no! Link would think she was copying him!

No, here, she forged a thinblade, of elvish design. The width of a pine needle, and just as green, it was engraved with runes and holy symbols, jeweled with carefully cut bits of the three Spiritual Stones, and shone with a shifting patchwork aura of many colors and powers.

It was sharpened to a razor edge on both sides, needle sharp at the tip, and just over three inches long.

She smiled as she finished, etching the name onto the hand guard. "Next loop is it Titania. Next loop we stop hiding from Link. We'll show him what we can do. We'll show him we aren't useless!" she giggled. "Let the lazy fairy boy sleep in. I'm saving Hyrule MYSELF!"

* * *

><p>Navi Awoke in a land of pastel equines, as a creature known as a breezie.<p>

With no hands.

"Damn it!" she squeaked.

* * *

><p>17.4<p>

* * *

><p>'The downside of the perfect weapon,' Link mused, 'is that most weapons can very easily turn on the ones that wield them.'<p>

Then he was forced to duck and roll to the side to avoid a stab and chop combo from Dark Link.

Dark Link had once more been formed as a direct copy of Link, with an identical blade, and identical skill with it. Link's practicing with a balance of attack and defense had resulted in him gaining an indestructible shadow shield as well.

As always, the two were perfectly matched, and so Link started pulling out new tricks to test the extent of his copy, while Navi hovered in the air in the background, pouting. Link had just HAD to have finished his sword that loop, hadn't he? He had asked Navi for a baseline run so he could test it, so Navi had to put her plans to show him up on hold.

With a flare of power from his sword, Link vanished, and Green, Blue, Red, and Purple Link faded into existence. A second flare, and Green, Blue, Red, and Purple Fi joined them.

"Huh... well that's disappointing." Green Link muttered, his entire team glaring at Black, Grey, White, and Shadow copies of themselves.

While the army of Fi clashed in the air, kicks and swirls forming blades of wind in a hurricane of violence, the eight Link charged each other.

Navi just scowled as she watched the two armies pull out new trick after new trick, none of them working, as perfectly symmetrical violence had never solved anything, and likely never would, but each still enough to further her resentment. She had worked hard for her new skills, and here Link was with several of his own, unknowingly threatening to render her obsolete once again.

Her thoughts fled her mind in cold terror a moment later.

Almost in slow motion to her mind, as each of the Links locked blades with each other, she saw a ball of light leap free from each of the Dark Links, formerly hidden in a fold of their tunics.

She saw each of them drawing a blade.

She saw them fade away, and split from four into sixteen.

She saw the blades flash.

And she saw each Link sliced into pieces as four crescents of energy cleanly passed through each of them.

"... Oh Goddesses, what have I done?" she whispered, eyes locked on her friend's unmoving forms.

"I'll tell you what you've done."

Navi's head darted upwards. The lights were surrounding her, now close enough that she could make out forms inside them, identical to her own. "You can TALK?!"

The lights flashed and merged back into four, then once more into a single entity.

Dark Navi sneered down at her, sword drawn, and the name _Mab _just barely able to be seen etched onto it. "You've screwed up." she chuckled, licking her sword tip with a sadistic grin.

Her normally rich blue glow fading to a pale farce of itself, Navi didn't even have time to draw Titania before Dark Navi lashed out. "_Final Wave!_"

She fell, and joined Link on the floor.

* * *

><p>17.5<p>

* * *

><p>Link and Navi sat on opposite sides of the deserted island, each gazing out to sea from their respective shores.<p>

The effect was rather ruined by the island being just big enough for this to mean they were both leaning against the same palm tree.

"So... That was Eiken." Link sighed, starting the no doubt awkward conversation between them by completely avoiding the subject.

Navi just groaned, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head buried in her knees. "Ugh. I hate that place. I swear, my back is still killing me..."

"Sort of boring too, once you get over the change in culture and technology levels."

"You could have warned me."

"I did."

"Well you could have said more than, 'It's Hell in disguise'!"

"Yeah, I probably could have."

"Yep"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So you taught Fi how to fight with you?" Navi asked.

"Oh, yeah, I did. She's a quick learner."

"She was pretty good."

"Thanks."

"She looks kind of silly in red though."

"Heh, yeah, she does." Link agreed with a chuckle.

"..."

"..."

"I can't help but notice you never offered to teach me to fight..." Navi muttered, absently doodling in the sand with a finger.

Link winced. "Yeah... I never did. Did I?"

"Nope."

"Huh."

"Yep."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"It wasn't on purpose you know." Link assured her, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "It's just... most of the enemies we face are more her size... so I guess she just came to mind first."

"Mmm. No doubt."

"Completely accidental."

"Right."

"..."

"..."

"Those were some pretty strong moves I got hit with though. Was that just a variant, or...?"

"Hmm? Oh. No, no, I can really do that."

"Impressive."

"Thanks..."

"..."

"..."

"So... when did you learn-"

"Around the same time you started thinking of me as worthless!" Navi snapped.

"Wait what? How did I-"

"Never once asking me for any of my hard earned knowledge. Never once asking me to do something to help. Never once asking if I COULD do something to help. Ignoring me in favor of your OTHER partners. That time you went on our ENTIRE ADVENTURE without joining up with me, leaving me wandering alone, utterly clueless and worried out of my mind, looking for you the entire loop, and STILL finishing without problems, and then never so much as mentioning it the next time you saw me! I could go on..." Navi snarled.

Link flinched. "... Oh."

"SO I WILL! Never asking for any tips on how to survive while small, for your stupid little Minish loops! Never asking how I was holding up! Spending entire loops practically pretending I didn't exist!" she shouted, eyes clenched shut tightly as they started to tear up. "And if all that... ALL THAT, wasn't bad enough, you have the NERVE to do it all while thinking of me as just a... a cheap accessory!" she sniffed, wiping an eye with the back of her hand. "I-I'm not defined by who YOU are! I'm not just 'your partner'! I had a life before I ever even met you, going back nearly two centuries! I-I have a family! My mom, and dad... and little sister... And you never... once... asked! You just don't CARE! You complete... and utter... bastard!" she sobbed, falling to her hands and knees and punching the sand under her.

Link didn't really have anything to say to that.

* * *

><p>The island was silent except for the sound of Navi's sobbing for quite some time, before Link spoke in a low voice.<p>

"So...how is Zinni doing?"

*sniff* "...what?"

"Zinni. Your sister. Is she still flittering about whatshissparkle, Glitz?"

"...no...she...how?"

Link sighed, staring out towards the horizon. "Navi, I...I've been you. A dozen times, at least. I've been you watching over a baseline version of me, I've been you watching over a Hylian version of you. I know about your history, the Wood Dragon, your father and the Meadow War, _Him_" Link's tone turned slightly venomous, but then faded back to a quiet monotone. "I knew it, and so I didn't ask, because...because I took it, I took you, for granted."

Link rotated to look at her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even think. I..." He shook his head. "No, there is no excusing it. I was wrong." He glanced away, back towards the ocean.

"I think...out of all of my companions, you are really the only one I felt was mine. Tatl and Tael, they were just hanging around till we found the Skull Kid. Ezlo and the King of Red Lions, both of them had their own agendas, they were more like mentors than partners. Midna..." Link chuckled while Navi let out a low growl. "Midna is complicated, but we were always more like master and butler, or princess and noble steed, than actual partners. Fi probably comes closest, but..."

Link let out a long breath. "Every partner I've had comes with a quest attached. Without the mission to stop Demise from rising, there is no need for me to wield Fi. Without Zant's lust for power, there is no need for me to even meet Midna. And yeah, you first came to bring me to the Deku Tree to start a quest. But even in the Loops where Ganondorf was a noble man and Hyrule was at peace, we were still partners. You were still there for me."

"...Link..."

Link slumped slightly. "I know that you have a life beyond being my partner. Heck, most of the time, I'm not even your first partner. Or second." Link turned to look at her again, where she had fluttered up to his eye level. "Navi, I've never thought that you were useless or worthless. Yeah, I have enough skill that I can beat almost any foe we will face with nothing but a Deku Stick. That's not the point. I don't need you to be a better fighter. I need you to be you. To be my partner." He took a deep breath, and then crossed his left arm across his chest, the Triforce symbol glowing. "And I swear, upon the Triforce, that I will be a better partner for you. I will be there for you, and I will listen when you have something to say." The mark glowed, and he then nodded.

Silence followed his declaration for over a minute, before Link spoke again. "So, can you give our partnership another chance, Navi?"

Navi floated, turning away, before nodding. "Yeah...I think I can."

Link smiled.

Navi smirked. "I'm still going to kick your ass to show off what I've learned. No way is all that training going to waste."

Link stuck his tongue out at her playfully, quickly reaching over to grab her, then rubbing her head rapidly with a finger. "You can try, 'Flitter Glitter', you can try."

"Hey! Only dad gets to call me-Ack! Link! No! Not the hair! Damn it, that's fighting dirty!"

* * *

><p>17.6<p>

* * *

><p>Link and Navi stood at the edge of Hyrule's northern border, with nothing but the great mountain range as far as the eye could see.<p>

Link smirked down at her. "You sure you want to do this? I put a lot of time into my moves. You've already got the size disadvantage in this. I really don't see how I'll wind up losing."

Navi just huffed, nose in the air as she pointedly looked away, one hand resting on her hip, the other casually on Titania's hilt at her side, resting in a brand new scabbard on her custom made, jewel encrusted tiny belt. She was grinning though. "Why Link! It almost sounds like you're scared! If that's the case, you might as well hand over my prize right now, before it decides to run away from you."

Link chuckled, holding his hand out teasingly towards her as his Triforce shone for a moment. "Oh I'm not scared, and I have no intention of giving this little beauty away. You just be ready with MY prize."

Navi shot him a dirty look. "Take Zelda's place in all things paperwork, political, and patriotic for an entire loop? From Skyloft to wherever it branches off? You made a mistake there Link. I was already going to win, that bet only got me motivated."

Link merely drew his sword with a grin in response. His masterpiece, for the time being at least, was nearly three times the size of the Master Sword, almost half as big as the Biggoron Sword, and thanks to his gauntlets was happily being twirled in one hand, despite being a two-and-a-half handed sword at the very least. One edge was straight, but the other was the interwoven bands of the Helix Blade, giving it a curve, and letting Link use his traditional, Fierce Deity, or Gerudo styles with equal ease.

Navi rolled her eyes with a smirk as she drew her own sword. "Yeah, okay, it's pretty. But it's so bulky and unwieldy, no finesse at all, and your style leaves much to be desired, waving it around like a feather duster. You fight like a dairy farmer!"

Link's eyes sparkled. "How appropriate, you fight like a c-"

Navi's eyes narrowed in a flash as her head whipped around to look him dead in the eyes, the world almost going dark around her as her glare seemed to fill his entire field of vision.

"... N-nevermind..." he relented.

* * *

><p>Link started things off with his usual playfulness, winding up and twirling into a spin-attack, a green band of energy forming in the wake of his sword tip. After a few rotations, he halted his movement and flicked his wrist. The wake of energy shot off, fusing end to end into a disc, as if Link had merely thrown a large Frisbee, or chakram.<p>

It cleanly sliced through four large oaks before exploding on impact with a fifth.

Link grinned. "I call that one the Light Slicer."

Navi yawned, making a big show of it. "I call it the Grass Cutter. Master it, and you may one day own a lawn care business of your very own."

Link folded his arms with a huff. "Let's see you do better then... and there is nothing wrong with practicing a move and making some cash at the same time!"

Navi smirked. "Gladly." she teased with a mock bow.

Drawing her sword, she lazily fluttered through the trees, casually passing them one by one while smiling and humming a little tune. After a ways, she turned back, and fluttered back to Link, landing daintily on his shoulder, and removing her scabbard from her belt.

Link just raised an eyebrow. "... Was that it? You didn't do anything."

Navi just raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I?" she giggled lightly, sliding her sword slowly into her scabbard in front of her, one in each hand, though stopping with the barest hint of the blade still out. "Three Step Humming..." she muttered, before a huge smirk crossed her face. "Arrow-Notch Strike!" she finished with a shout, snapping her sword all the way in with a sharp 'chink'.

The moment her weapon was fully sheathed, every tree she had passed collapsed as one, sliding apart on sharply angled cuts before crashing to the ground.

"... I could do that if I wanted."

"Sure you could. Your move?"

"Yeah, but let's take this up a level and take this to the boulders."

"Fine by me."

* * *

><p>Link merely watched as Navi settled herself into a bracing stance, her sword drawn and arm wound back. Several boulders were set before her in a row, each guarding the next like a solemn shield bearer. Navi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying her hand.<p>

So she needed calm huh? He could work with that. "Don't strain yourself. We can always get some rocks you can actually handle instead. I think I have some slingshot pebbles somewhere you can use." he teased.

Navi shot him a dirty look, but said nothing.

"Nice to see you're aiming high though. Those are almost half the size of the ones I used when I started training Fi."

A rapidly twitching eyebrow was his reward."Link... I know what you are trying to do, and it won't work..." she growled.

He was getting to her. One more choice push should do it.

He waited until she had fully pulled back for her strike before delivering. "Super Sonic THR-"

"Nice stance by the way. ALMOST perfect. Maybe Ruto can give you some pointers."

"I AM MORE SKILLED THAN THAT GOLD DIGGING PARTNER STEALING FISH!" Navi roared, eyes glowing bright red as she turned to yell at him.

This of course meant that her aim was off, and the row of boulders she had been planning to skewer instead performed a masterful imitation of a pool table shot, flying in all directions and smashing off the landscape at top speed. Link had to duck to avoid one more than once.

It didn't go exactly to plan however, as the repeated pounding of the rocks against the cliff wall behind them rapidly cracked and collapsed it, causing an avalanche to cascade down as the tremors demolished everything they passed through.

When the dust had finally settled, Link managed to get back to his feet and shook the rubble and powder from his hair and clothes. "Huh. Well that backfired." he sighed, gazing up at where a fairly large mountain used to be. "Yep, not beating that with a thrusting move."

Navi hadn't noticed his ceding of the round. Nor, in fact, had she noticed her own move going wrong, or the rampant destruction around her.

She was too busy ranting. "-with four goddess damned eels, tied into a rope! Sideways! Calling her a warrior!? HA! If all is fair in love and war, she only heard half of it! It's a wonder-"

"Note to self..." Link muttered as she spelled out step by step several increasingly anatomically improbable things his occasional fishy fiance would probably mistake the use of various weapons for rather than fighting. "Navi has more issues than she'll admit..."

"-tartar sauce! And let me tell you another thing! She CAN'T explain it away by being my sister that time! She'll deny it, but you don't steal FOUR of your little sister's prospective love interests by accident! Just because-"

* * *

><p>17.7 - (By Me)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi's eye twitched as the old Picori launched into yet another story of his youth. Navi loved learning new facts as much as anyone (probably more than most), so she was dutifully taking notes, gleaning bits of information from the rambling tales. Still, she had come to see Librari after hearing that his large feather came from a Cucco he fought against in his youth. She wanted to train in the techniques used by someone her size to fight larger opponents.<p>

A sharp scream from outside of the book cut off Librari's latest tale (and masked Navi's sigh of relief at the distraction). More shouts followed, and the two of them made their way out to see what was going on.

A large black cat had apparently ran in through the front doors of the library, and was dodging the human's attempts to grab it. Suddenly, it twisted around and leapt up the side of the bookshelf they were on! Navi leapt back lightly, drawing Titania, as a black paw clawed into the shelf, and the bulk of the cat pulled itself up. However, before she could leap forward to attack, she felt her hair stand on end as a massive spike of energy rose behind her.

She glanced back to see Librari in a vaguely familiar pose. The chant he then uttered connected the dots.

"Pi-co-ri-co-HA!"

* * *

><p>- <em>Well, that was an amazing journey. And it's not over yet. Navi will continue to grow, and her future adventures will be contained in future chapters of the Legend of Navi Time Loops, along side her sidekick<em>

Navi, what are you doing?

_Oh, um, bye!_

Right, well, anyway, thanks for reading, and do stay tuned for further adventures from all of the Legend of Zelda Loopers.


	18. Chapter 18

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Cuccos and Watchers and Gags, Oh My!**

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear, that I am...oh wait, wrong fandom. I don't own the Legend of Zelda, or any of the other characters that are referenced within this chapter or story. However, it is a very good game series, and you should all go out and buy the games. Yes.

Ok, so it has been awhile. That is my bad, there have been plenty of snippets piling up, I just haven't been very good at getting them out. But, I finally got off my lazy butt and did something about it. There are going to be four chapters uploaded in this batch. The final three aren't _quite_ ready yet, so I am going to put out this chapter to tide you over, and then you can anticipate the next three showing up sometime in the next couple of days, or so.

Without further ado, let's get on with the show! (Oh, and a special shout-out goes to cipher100, who wrote many of the snippets in this chapter!)

* * *

><p>18.1 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Eustace was starting to doubt himself. For the past few hours weird things have been happening on the farm. The power would flicker and die out. Strange noises could be heard every now and then like foot steps being heard when no one was around or clanging of pots pans. At first he would pass it off as the windmill needed fixed or it was just the wind. But now something was happening that was really setting him on edge.<p>

He was hearing voices. He started hearing it when he went out to check on the barn. It was just a whisper, barely loud enough to here.

"Eustace...Eustace." The voice had a strange tone, as if it was beckoning him to come near. Eustace was doing everything he could think of to resist, but he still found himself going to where the sound originated from. Which, is where he was now standing outside the closed barn door with a flashlight in hand. Trying to lower his heart rate and shaky breathing, he reached out with a sweaty hand and slowly opened the door. And shined the light inside.

"Booga Booga Booga!" bellowed the owner of the voice. A strange portly creature with copper brown coloring and almost seemed to be of rock stood in the barn, waving its arms wildly.

Screaming in fear and dropping the flashlight. Eustace ran back to the house as if the very demons of hell were on his heels.

Watching the old man flee from the barn, the strange creature known as a Goron began to chuckle, which then devolved into a full belly laugh. Calming down the Goron reached to the sides of it's head and began to pull, resulting in a white light that encompassed the individual. Once the light died down where the Goron used to be was now a small anthropomorphic dog that resembled a wolf.

"That was satisfying," Link said with sigh. He knew it was not the greatest thing to do, but that man had been getting on his nerves ever since he looped into this world.

Placing the Goron mask back into his Subspace Pocket, Link began walking out of the barn to undo what he did to the power, and to switch spots with the decoy he made using the song he learned from the undead King of Ikana.

Outside the barn Link stopped and looked into a bucket with water in it. Looking back was a Dark grey dog with almost white grey streaks in its' fur. On its' forehead were three triangles that came together to form a larger triangle.

"Courage." Link mused. Pondering the name that his loop memories say was given to him.

"I don't know if that is a divine joke, but it is fitting."

* * *

><p>18.2 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Link coughed as he regained consciousness, sitting up he looked around east Termina field taking note of the large crater nearby and the scorched area around it.<p>

"How did that many of those bomb rats get into Clock Town in the first place?" He asked the air around him. Apparently, Termina this loop had an incredibly large abundance of real Bombchus. Bombchus that had found their way into the water channels and into the town proper. Luckily, he had a pied piper loop sometime back, and he still remembered the melody. If he hadn't then Clock Town probably wouldn't be standing.

* * *

><p>18.3 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Becoming a guard for Hyrule's Castle is considered an honorable duty to the citizens of the kingdom. Only the best of the best of the military are even considered for the role of a guardsman, and each are hand picked by the king himself. Each of them have a sworn duty to lay down their for the protection of the royal family. They all know this and they will all gladly follow through to carry it out. However, there is thing that each and everyone of them despise that unfortunately comes with the job.<p>

Boredom.

"Hey" One guard, Al, calls over to his companion for the current shift of watching the front gate into the castle.

"Hmm, what?" The other guard, Bob, asks back to the other.

"You ever wonder why we're here?" Al asks.

"It's one of life's mysteries, isn't it. I mean, are we some part of a Cosmic Coincidence, or are there really Goddesses watching over us. I don't know man, but it keeps me up at night." Bob responds with a look of thoughtful contemplation. Al stays quiet, looking back at him with a blank expression.

"What? I mean, what are we doing out here guarding the front gate? " Al says with mild disbelief.

"Uhh, because it's our duty as guards of the castle to follow orders, and one of them was to guard the gate for the shift." Bob replied indignantly.

"Oh, right." Al says, chastised. "When does it end anyway?"

"About two more hours." Bob checks the sun's position to determine the time. After that declaration, the two guards return to watching the road.

"Have you seen the new girl working at the Bombchu Gallery?" Al asks, suddenly.

"No, who is it?"

Al paused, thoughtful. "What was her name? Mary, Mallory? Mal-something, anyway."

"The daughter of the Ranch owner? Why would she be working there?" Bob replies.

"When I asked, she said 'I need rupees to fund my Cucoo Artificial Evolution Project', what ever that means." Al informed him.

* * *

><p>18.4 (Pinklestia)<p>

* * *

><p>Malon hugged the little orange pegasus filly. "Oh my gosh! You were the most adorable Cucco Queen ever!"<p>

"I... I don't like to talk about that loop." Scootaloo said uncomfortably and tried to get away, unfortunately she was weak against the power of a fangirl.

"But, but... hearing about you helped me to have so many ideas, and you completely derailed the loop without crashing it!"

"Yes, but that was only until the next loop. Zelda hadn't warned me that you guys could have loops that were sequels. It turns out that while the future caused by me being the Cucco Queen was peaceful, Demise got revived as a cat. Guess who had to keep hiding and running away from cat monsters for the rest of that loop?"

* * *

><p>18.5 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>"I just want to say, thank you for showing up to see what I have today." Malon said happily to her guests. Link and Zelda nodded graciously. They had decided to show up for basically two reasons. One, because despite her mad scientist tendencies, Malon was a friend to both of them, and two, because it made it easier to help contain anything dangerous she made before it could escape.<p>

"We are glad to be here Malon. But what is it you are showing us? Your invitation didn't say." Zelda asked with Link nodding along with the question.

"You'll see." Malon said with a smile, which did not put either of them at ease. Turning around, she began to lead the two over to a corner of the ranch. In the corner was a medium sized box that Link and Zelda assumed was a cage with a cloth cover draped over it.

"Now I have been having trouble splicing this little guy's DNA for awhile. But I am almost certain that I've finally gotten it correct, I just needed some genetic from a few of the creatures from around Hyrule." Malon informed them while placing a hand on the cloth and giving it an affectionate pat.

Giving each other a discrete glance, Link discretely readied himself to pull a sword and shield from his Pocket and Zelda readied a couple of contingency spells. Looking over to them, Malon smiled again and grabbed onto the cloth and pulled it off revealing...

A normal Cucoo standing in the cage.

"Isn't he amazing?" Malon said with pride while taking the Cucoo out of its' confines for display.

"It's just a Cucoo," Link tried to inform her nonchalantly, not quite able to keep the apprehension out of his voice, while discreetly pulling a Lens of Truth from his pocket to scan the bird. Regular Cucoos were bad enough, but if Malon made some sort of Ultra Mega Cucoo Link wasn't sure what he would do.

"It's not just a regular Cucoo." Malon said with some irritation, before her cheerful smile returned.

"It's a hypoallergenic Cucoo. I made them so that Anju in Kakariko would be able to handle them."

"Oh and their down is 17.6% softer than regular Cucoo's as well." Malon added, stroking the bird and cooing over it gently. Link and Zelda stared at Malon in surprise before looking at the avian creature she was currently holding. Out of all the things their resident mad scientist could have created, this was definitely not what they expected.

* * *

><p>18.6 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Malon could not help herself; it was either laugh at what she was seeing, or pick it up in her arms and cuddle it. She decided laughing was the most appropriate response in this situation.<p>

"Hahahahahahha!" she let it out, doubling over. Meanwhile, the reason for her amusement was currently giving her the most vicious glare he could manage, which unfortunately was not much.

"Hehe…What happened. Did you decide to try on a new mask and got it stuck to your head?" Malon asked while lowering her laughter down to giggles.

"…"

"Hey don't look at me like that, I did not do this. I don't experiment on people." Malon said indignantly.

"…"

"Well at least your clothes fit. And you do look rather adorable like that." Malon said with a smile.

Link, for all of his tools, experience, and skills, could only say one thing.

"Bakawk."

Pursing her lips, Malon adopted a thoughtful pose. "I wonder if you would summon a swarm of green-hatted Cucco's if you were attacked…"

Link froze, as an unholy gleam rose in his eye. In a distant castle, Ganondorf felt a chill run down his spine.

* * *

><p>18.7 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Kakariko village was largely the same both before and after Ganondorf had conquered Hyrule with the Tri-force of Power. Sure, there were a few more buildings and few more people, but in general, the village stayed the same.<p>

Link lay back on the roof he was currently relaxing on, looking up at the volcano called Death Mountain. He had decided when he Awoke this loop to follow the baseline. Since he was the only one Awake, if the feeling through the Triforce and lack of answers from the ping were anything to go by, Link felt like taking a break before tackling the Fire Temple, which was why he was relaxing on the roof. 'Now, how should I go about taking down Volva-'.

"Chickens." Link jolted upright when he heard the shout. He was reaching for his sword but stopped himself when saw what was happening below. A teenage boy with yellow skin wearing a green jacket and blue jeans had gotten into Anju's Cucoo pen.

The boy, Ed if Link remembered correctly, was holding all of the Cucoos in a death grip while attempting pet them all simultaneously. Link watched on in horror as Ed hugged the Cucoos tightly while saying "Pet the chicken" over and over again. Finally breaking free of his terror induced daze, Link proceeded to turn on his heel, leap off the rood, and hightail it out of the village. He did not want to be there when the wrath of the Cucoo's descended upon the area.

* * *

><p>18.8<p>

* * *

><p>"Why?! For the love of Naryu, why?!" Link raced across Hyrule Field, Pegasus Boots pounding, while behind him, the replacement for Epona this Loop charged along.<p>

"He just wants some carrots." Malon shouted from her perch on a nearby fence. "And maybe a steak."

"Well excu~u~use me for not stopping to buy the fire-breathing horse dinner." Link rolled to swiftly change direction, avoiding a jet of flame in the process. "What inspired this, anyway?"

Malon adopted a thoughtful position. "Well, you told me a while ago you wanted more firepower..."

"That's an expression, and you know it!" Link dodged a bite from a mouthful of sharp teeth, before kicking off a tree to flip over the monstrosity and book it the other way. "And the three heads?"

Malon shrugged. "Cerberi already have fire breath, so the splicing was easier, plus," she winked as he raced by, "I've always wanted to make a Tri-Horse."

Link face palmed at the pun, which is an ill-advised action when one is running at high speeds. Luckily, he did make it out of traction before the end of the Loop.

* * *

><p>18.9 (Pinklestia)<p>

* * *

><p>Malon patted the small orange Pegasus pony, small in this case being just about the size of Malon's head.<p>

" Aren't you the cutest little pony ever? What are you supposed to be this loop, Scootaloo?" For some reason, Scootaloo tended to loop into Hyrule more than most other ponies.

Scootaloo opened her mouth, then closed it, and gave Malon an annoyed glare.

"Uh... is really that bad?" Malon looked at the tiny pony confused

Scootaloo continued glaring, before a vicious smile slid onto her face. Still smiling, she opened her mouth and started to talk "Hello hero, my name is Scootaloo and I will be your guide in this wondrous adventure. First of all, are you a boy or a girl?"

"What?" Was the filly playing a joke on her?

"Oh, so you are a boy? Are you sure?"

Malon's eyes widened as her body suddenly changed to be the opposite gender.

"No, I am a girl dammit!" Malon's body changed back.

"Are you sure that you are a girl?"

"Yes." Malon groaned, she just knew this was payback for creating those Cucco pegasi hybrids the last loop they shared together.

"So, your name is Payback?"

"No, my name is Malon!" Yes, this was revenge alright.

* * *

><p>18.10 (Pinklestia)<p>

* * *

><p>Super Speed Test 1: Start<p>

Link smiled, it had cost a great deal of money and time, but after that RPG like fused loop where he could merge items, he had got the Golden Pegasus Boots after fusing 108 regular Pegasus Boots. Link put the boots on, set the stopwatch and radar gun set up on a nearby stump, and prepared to dash. The stopwatch beeped and he took off, the landscape blurring around him. He heard a boom as he broke the sound barrier... then a second boom as he crashed into a mountain.

Conclusion: Experiment inconclusive. Please remember that faster running speed doesn't mean faster reaction time.

Super Speed Test 2:

Link equipped Epona with the items he had made in his last loop in Equestria: The Rainbow Pegasus Horseshoes (Made using using a lot of Pegasus Boots and some solidified rainbow), then fed her a handful of oats with Pegasus Seeds mixed in.

Epona promptly turned into a Pegasus and took off, breaking the sound barrier a moment later.

Conclusion: Experiment inconclusive. Remember to be riding Epona before equipping the items. Do not let Malon get samples from Pegasus Epona, we don't want a repeat of the Pegasi/Cucco hybrid incident. Or anything/Cucco hybrids...Work on creating a revised version of the Accords.

* * *

><p>18.11 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>The Silent Realm was currently... silent. The Guardians were standing still, waiting until they received the signal to go after the hero. The Watchers, patrolling the area, made no noise as they swept their lights over the land.<p>

One watcher in particular was currently on the return path of his route, watching and waiting for the chosen Hero to pass through his sight.

And then a green blur streaked by underneath him.

Startled, the Watcher looked around in confusion, but there was no hero in sight. It looked around one last time, but nothing was out of the ordinary. It was probably nothing to worry about, it decided, and continued on its path.

On a grassy outcropping overlooking the area, the green blur solidified into Link, with both the Pegasus Boots and the Bunny Hood equipped. He looked around the area for a second before darting off again. In a few seconds he was back at the portal, the last Tear in hand.

Outside of the Silent Realm, Fi observed the portal. All of the sudden, the magic circle flared with light. When it died down, it revealed Link, standing there with a proud smile on his face.

"I calculated a time of four minutes and seven seconds for your current attempt." Fi informed him. " This is an improvement of 15 seconds from your previous record. "

Link frowned. "I thought it was shorter than that."

* * *

><p>18.12 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Link always enjoyed being in a loop when Skyloft was present, being able to soar above the clouds on a Loftwing. He also enjoyed seeing what the land was like before Hyrule was established. So far, everything had followed the baseline for the era, Link already visited the Isle of Songs, and was now entering the first Silent Realm trial.<p>

As he was stepping in to begin the trial, Link took a look around only to freeze in horror at the sight before him. All of the silent realm guardians have been replaced by Tingles. Most of them were standing on the ground, holding weapons that were twice their size without any visible effort. There were other Tingles floating around with their balloons, holding lanterns acting as searchlights.

"Mr. Hero." Link looked at a tingle floating above him. When link had froze, he had not realized he had stepped out of the safe zone and right into its' search path. With his mouth working before his brain, he dumbly replied, "Yes."

"Are you here to complete the trial of the Goddesses?" The floating Tingle questioned with the usual happiness that all Tingles seemed to possess. Not knowing what else to say, Link could only nod in reply.

"Well, if that is true, then you must first SURVIVE!" The Tingle then pulled out one of the weapons Link saw the others holding. Raising the sword above his head, Tingle used it to pop his balloons, causing him to fall straight towards Link's position.

"KOOLOO LIMPAH."

* * *

><p>18.13 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>"Well, at least I know what happened to Groose this loop." Link said to himself as he looked out at the valley before him.<p>

In the valley, set between a pair of mountain ranges was a city. A city of Groose. Statues of Groose could be seen in every plaza. The buildings were shaped like Groose's head. There were even mosaics of Groose's visage in the walkways.

But worst of all, in Link's opinion, were the people inhabiting the city. All of them, every last one, were Groose. Even the women looked like a gender swapped Groose.

"Hey shrimp, I know Grooseland is awesome but you're blocking the road."

Hearing this Link turned to the person addressing him. The person turned out to be large muscular woman with red hair and a beak like nose.

"Look pal, if you're here to sightsee then you should stop at the welcome center slash gift shop right after the gate." Said the woman as she was walking passed Link, who just stared dumbly after her.

Shaking himself, Link looked in the direction she had indicated and spotted the building she told him about. Although the only way he could tell the difference from all of the other Groose-shaped buildings was the sign positioned by the building.

'Welcome to Grooseland's

Tourism Center.'

Link wasn't sure whether to laugh or find a dark hole to hide in.

* * *

><p>18.14 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>"Hi there Link, I'm glad you are here. I've been doing some research and I think I discovered something." Malon said when she noticed Link had stepped into her Laboratory. Now if Malon had told Link that before he had entered the room, he would have probably turned around to come back later. While Malon was nowhere near as bad as Sakura, the farm girl did get carried away at times.<p>

But this did not seem to be one of those times. Instead of the large amount of equipment for genetic experiments that usually filled her lab, Malon only had stacks of books and papers. Upon closer inspection, all of the pages were about things from the Hub Loops. Deciding to sate his curiosity, both for what she had discovered and for the absence of the usual clutter in the room, and because he wasn't sure if he could run away fast enough, Link asked "What have you discovered?"

"I think I know the meaning of life." Malon said simply, a wide smile on her face.

"Uh…okay. What is the meaning and why were you researching it?" Link asked while slowly backing away, for some reason all of his instincts were screaming at him to run. Silently, he prayed the meaning of life wasn't Cuccos.

Malon's smile widened as she raised her hand and showed him what she was holding.

"Candy." She answered with an almost manic energy, her smile growing to a size that really ought to be painful.

"Candy?" Link asked. Something was wrong, Malon never smiled like that, and now his instincts were telling to curl up in the darkest hole as far away as he could.

"Yes." Malon practically screamed, nodding vigorously, "Yes candy. All kinds of candy, jelly candy, sweet candy, sour candy, juicy candy. Candy, candy, CANDY." Abruptly turning around, Malon skipped over to a lever in the wall Link had not noticed before. Wearing the same manic smile, Malon pulled the lever, causing several unseen hatches to open at the top of the room and along the walls. Out the hatches came torrents of candy at the speed of water breaking through a dam, rushing out in an inescapable tide.

Trapped in the sea of delicious sweets, Link tried to swim over to Malon, who was now standing up on a raised platform looking down at the scene. Noticing him, she grinned wider and started to giggle. Her giggle soon turned into a laugh, which then increase into a mad cackle. Link, for his part, continued trying to make his way over to the platform, but moving through the candy that was now up to his chest was like wading through wet sand.

Her laughter dying away, Malon moved to the side revealing another lever. Before pulling the lever down, she looked over to Link and said, brightly, "Sorry about this but you are just so sweet." The second lever seemed to have opened up a hatch in the center of the floor, causing the candy to fall through it like water through a drain. Given the amount already in the room, Link was swept up with the flow and pulled closer and closer to the drain. Starting to scream as he found himself in the sugary vortex, Link had just enough time to see Malon give him a farewell wave as he was pulled down into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Link woke up with a gasp, looking around to see where he was, only finding the camp he had set up a few hours a go to rest for the night. Sitting up from his slouched position, Link looked at the pouch he had in his hand. In all of the loops he had never once tried eating the particular items in this pouch before now.<p>

'Never again.' He thought to himself. Pulling out a piece of paper, he wrote DO NOT EAT in bold letters and attached the paper to the pouch. Placing it back where it came from, Link decided he wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight. Getting up and putting his equipment away, he put out the fire to continue on his journey, all while keeping his newly learned lesson in the back of his mind.

They're called "Magic Beans" for a reason.

* * *

><p>18.12 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>Link allowed himself to calm down as he watched the Tingle searchlight dissipate into white smoke. Tensing up, he readied himself to deal with the rest of the guardians, before he suddenly stopped. Why should he have to fight them off to try to get to the tears, when he had a proven method to avoid them?<p>

Grinning, Link reached into his Pocket and pulled out the Stone Mask. After ensuring that the Tingle Guardians could not find him with their searchlights, Link casually strode around the realm, collecting the tears and anything else that interested him. When finished with his task, Link made his way back to the starting point. Just as he was about to step into the circle he removed the Stone Mask and placed it back into his Pocket. The next trials were going to be no trouble at all.

* * *

><p>18.15 (cipher100, with editing by generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link was certain the rupees on the ledge were mocking him.<p>

He didn't really need them, actually, but it was it was the principle of the matter.

He could see them up there just out of reach. They were too angled to run up the wall, too close to the back to use the Hookshot, and too shiny to ignore. Staring over at the ledge, Link contemplated how to reach it. One easy way was to use the Scarecrow's song, then hookshot up to that. But no, Link decided on something else.

Pulling out the Gale Boomerang, Link pulled his arm back to swing. Pouring magic into it, Link released the boomerang, causing a mini tornado just at the right spot. Running towards the direction of the tornado, Link equipped the Deku leaf, and jumped up into the air with it. Using the Deku Leaf, Link shot up through the vortex and glided down onto the ledge. Perfect.

**You got the Rupees! **

With his objective finished, Link turned around and jumped down the ledge.

All two feet of it.

"Really?" asked Navi. "Instead of jumping up the small ledge, you did something ridiculously convoluted that took far longer? _For twenty rupees?_"

Link smiled and nodded.

* * *

><p>18.16 (cipher100, with editing by generiguy)<p>

* * *

><p>Link was <em>really <em>hoping the Silent Realm was baseline this time. Even the thought of the Tingles that inhabited it last time still sent shivers down his spine. It was probably a good idea, Link decided, to see if anything was different this time.

He looked around. Nothing really seemed different. Great! Link ran forward to the nearest Tear, but was interrupted by a Watcher raising its arm. Instead of its usual lantern, however, it had a ring on one of its hand. And it was chanting.

_"In darkest day, in silent night._

_No Chosen Hero shall escape my sight._

_Let those who face the trials, fear might._

_Behold my power, the Goddess' Light!"_

Link's only thought as he fled the Silent Realm was "Nope".

* * *

><p>18.17 (stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>Link had to admit, this was a weird loop. Slicing the head off the last gray putty-man-thing, he suddenly saw a vision of Malon wearing an ugly hat and using a large staff to do... something. Cackling, she shot energy out of the staff, down from outer space, and into a cucco sitting on a nearby box.<p>

"Oh- oh no. This is bad," Link stammered, trying not to panic, as he finally recognized her outfit and the putty things he was fighting.

"Arise my minion! Attack Hyrule, Cuc-zilla!"

The cucco grew at an enormous rate; 10 feet high, 20 feet, 50 feet! Still it grew into the sky, tilting its head back and forth, unsure of what to make of this development.

"It's a good thing Malon isn't Awake, this definitely breaks the Kakariko accords. Well, what do I have that can counter that? Bombs? No, to much collateral damage. Giant mask? No, not giant enough. Fierce deity? Maybe? No, still not big enough…"

As Link went over his options, the giant cockerel decided it was hungry, and started scratching for worms, tearing through streets and kicking pavement through storefronts. Panicked pedestrians started running, catching the eye of the fearsome beast, and it started pecking.

"OK, so if big won't do, maybe tiny will work, not like I have much time to strategize…"

Link whipped out the Gust Bellows and the Deku Leaf, straddling the former while catching it's wind with the latter, rocketing himself towards the over-sized McNugget. Unfortunately, he caught the eye of his ancient foe, and the cucco pecked!

Using every ounce of skill in Quidditch he had gained from that one loop, he pulled a Kreneigel Slide, barely missing the titanic beak. Banishing the bellows to his pouch, Link drifted down onto the bird's head. Rolling across, he shrank himself down to Picori size.

"This is going to be one fantastic voyage," Link mumbled to himself as he slipped into the bird's hearing canal. "ECHO! Echo! Echo. Echo." The bird's head twisted and shook, but he made his way in.

Finally he reached the bird's gray matter. "Well, I'll just get to carving up the holiday bird! With a spin-slash here, and a spin-slash there…"

A few minutes later, Link was getting dizzy. "Ok, new plan. Off with the old tunic, on with the Magic Armor… And, normal size, this is gonna cost some money…"

It was Link's turn to grow, as he went from less than 2 inches high to over 60! The cucco's head split open in a disgusting show of force as the invincible Link grew too big for the Cuc-zilla's skull to contain.

The massive bird dropped, and Link floated the ground, once more in his green tunic.

"Alright, who likes dark meat, and who likes light?"

* * *

><p>18.18 (Gamerex27)<p>

* * *

><p>"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," Chikorita asked, staring at Squirtle as if he had grown a second head (and she was pretty sure that was not involved in Blastoise's Mega Evolution).<p>

"Relax," the former human said, tapping the staff against the ground. "I reprogrammed it, and it won't work on Pokemon anymore. Unless I flick this switch, anyways."

"I really hope you're right," Charmander grumbled, pre-emptively taking a step back. "I remember the last time we ran into that thing. I was sore for weeks afterwards from all that dancing."

"I figured I'd give the new model a test," Squirtle continued, "and see if Shulk and Isabeau's modifications worked. If they didn't, well, we'd just get a bit of exercise from it."

"Who're you going to use it on?" Charmander asked, as they continued walking down the cave they had Woken up in. "I mean, I can't really tell what Loop we're in."

The unmistakable sound of an explosion sounded, followed by a familiar man in a green tunic and iconic hat walking into the room. He scanned the room, looking to and fro tor traps and monsters, the crystal hearts on his belt jangling as he turned side to side.. When he saw Team Go-Getters, he raised an eyebrow, but continued walking towards the other side of the cavern.

"Well, that answers that question," Chikorita commented. "So, if we're going to do that prank, should we wait until after he rescues Zelda? Just to make sure no one gets hurt?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that," the Anchor replied. "Did you see how many Heart Containers he had? He'll be fine."

A chorus of demonic hisses sounded from all around the cavern, as over a dozen Moblins, Wizzrobes, and other assorted minions of Ganon sprung out from behind the stalagmites littered across the cave, to ambush the Hero of Time.

"This seems like a good a time as any!" Ignoring his friends plugging their ears/ear canals behind him, Squirtle flicked the on switch of the Dancing Pokébaton.

Instantly, Link and the monsters froze. Then, looking horribly confused, they walked towards one another, assembling into a box formation of lines and symmetry. As a beat sounded from the baton, Link and the monsters moved in unison, stepping and then jerking their heads to the side in a passable impression of that one dancer from the Hub.

They jumped in the air, their arms swinging up and down. And then, the music started.

"Deru deru, zeruda no densetsu! Deru deru deru deru tsui ni deru! Gojasu! Kondo no bouken!"

A massive bird cage lowered from the cavern ceiling, containing an equally baffled Princess Zelda. She swayed from side to side in time to the music, looking just as bemused as everyone else at what she was doing.

"Please tell me you're recording this. This is the best thing ever!" Squirtle declared, waving the baton in time to the foreign rap music.

"Uh, I think so...feed's a bit low quality..." Charmander said, awkwardly holding a camcorder in his claws.

"Riaru, kimi mo sugu ni taiken! Nikui de yansu ne, konchikushou! Kougashitsu nazodoki akushon!"

Swaying along with the music, Link and the monsters suddenly snapped back upwards, holding their hands to their heads. Making a motion like they were trying to snap their own necks, they spun around, then turned in a circle with the Japanese rapper.

"Tomadou koto mo naku, nomerikomou! Mochinoron, Suupaa Famicom!"

The monsters finally came to their senses. One of the Lizalfos swung his ball and chain in preparation for an attack, as another of his compatriots roared in fury.

"Abunai! Deta!" Zelda screamed, looking confused (she clearly had no idea what she just said).

One of the Wizzrobes flung a fireball at Link, but he was ready. Still in time to the music, he unleashed a Spin Attack, cutting a great deal of monsters to shreds and reflecting the fireball in the process.

"Ike! Rinku!" the baton sang.

Link's sword clanged against the cage as it lowered to the ground, breaking the door open.

"Shirazu shirazu no shinken shoubu! Koyoi mo zeruda wa saikouchou!" the voice sang as the Triforce Bearers embraced. An ear-piercing roar brought them to their senses, as the King of Darkness himself loomed over the carven, in all of his hammy (figurative and literal) glory.

And yet, the music was still not done. The volume suddenly became louder, and every non-Pokemon in the cave, Ganon included, fell back into its thrall.

"Suupaa Famicom zeruda no densetsu! Deru deru deru deru tsui ni deru!" the singer proclaimed, as Hylians and monsters alike fell back into the box dance, moving once again in time to the music.

"Do...any of you guys speak Japanese?" Charmander asked, trying to make himself heard over the loud music and Squirtle's mad laughter.

"I...think it's a commercial," Chikorita said, tilting her head in confusion. "For one of those Yggdrasil backups-like the Pokemon games in the Hub."

Unfortunately, the Hylians took this time to see the strange creatures watching from a distance, one of them holding the baton tormenting them so.

"Uh...run!" Charmander screamed, grabbing Squirtle with a use of Strength and hauling tail in the opposite direction.

"When this is over," Chikorita muttered as she followed her team away from the pursuing, disgruntled dancers, "I'm going to bury him in roots for the rest of the Loop."

The Pocket Monsters fled across the black cavern, and the dancing fiends followed.

* * *

><p>18.19 (Leviticus Wilkes)<p>

* * *

><p>A smokey table under a green light. Cards and cigars. Beer and milk. In the back a pool table, billiards clicking against one another. The front bar, a rich mahogany plank, is spotless. The bartender was cleaning a glass. A piano played in the background. It was a brilliant little cliche, only broken by it's occupants.<p>

The bartender was an apple red pony with a green apple mark on his flank, named Mac. The duo playing pool was Darth Vader and Corvo Atano, and Vader was winning. And the poker table was populated by dogs.

Link plucked out two cards and flipped them over for display. "Pair of queens."

Amaterasu flipped her own cards out. *Woof* -Pair of kings.-

Dog threw down his cards. "I'm out."

Cat grumbled something from under the table. "Of course you're out."

Spike smiled and flipped out three cards. "Triple Aces."

Leah growled something profane and threw her cards down, along with Courage.

Balto cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh... Three twos? Does that trump three aces."

Spike reclined himself. "Nope. I get the pot boys and girls."

The assembled canines/former canines drew new hands. Leah looked up at Mac, who had stopped wiping his glass to stare. "Take a photo. It'll last longer."

* * *

><p>18.1 - A hero, by any other name...<p>

18.2 - Mousetraps proved...less...than ideal.

18.3 - A gentle reminder that even Unawake people still have lives. Boring ones, but lives nonetheless.

18.4 - Scoots can get uncomfortable with Malon's manias...

18.5 - When they discovered the self-destruct button on the feet, everything made much more sense.

18.6 - So, would a horde of Links be called a flock, a swarm, or a chain?

18.7 - Oh Ed. Stick to sucking on jawbreakers.

18.8 - Naturally, Ganondorf commissioned a Tri-Horse for his own steed.

18.9 - ...but Scoots can definitely get payback if she needs to.

18.10 - Link has acceleration covered, now he just needs to work on cornering.

18.11 - However fast he is, it is plenty fast enough to outrace his enemies.

18.12 - Tingle is watching...always watching.

18.13 - As it turns out, Grooseland actually makes some very well done bobbleheads.

18.14 - Magic Beans: Not FDA Approved.

18.15 - Link stands by his principles. Principle one: GET THE RUPEES!

18.16 - Watcher Lanturns: They will show you the light, then beat you down with it.

18.17 - Go Go Power Hyrule!

18.18 - *Crossposted with Pokemon*...I don't even know.

18.19 - *Crossposted with MLP* They all had a barking good time.


	19. Chapter 19

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Sailing on Sea and Stars**

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda. That is all.

And, without further ado, here come the next three chapters!

* * *

><p>19.1 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke in his seafaring incarnation once again, standard Awakening, nothing special.<p>

Slightly more unusual was his Waking during his pirate crew training in the hold of Tetra's ship instead of just before his little sister woke him up in the lookout tower.

Downright weird was his instructor, who, instead of Niko, was a short-bearded blond young man wearing a blue, formal sailor's uniform, had a hook instead of a left hand, and looked more the type to be a flooring inspector or a salesman of Fine Leather Jackets(TM).

"... and lesson two is the highly useful ability to seemingly pause time to take in your surroundings at your leisure. If you manage that, then we'll move on to lesson three, the art of having infinite storage space in your pants, though if you have a preference for a different storage method, we can work around that. Lesson four will be a simple lecture of the many uses of common, and not so common objects, and if you pass that, you'll get your own coil of rope, and a rubber-chicken-with-a-pulley-in-the-middle of your very own as a reward! Lesson six marks the halfway point, but don't worry about going the full ten minutes. You'll only need to hold your breath underwater for three or four, though you will need to be able to handle the entire technique before I can teach you to speak manatee, though that isn't until lesson nine. Manage that, and you can call yourself a Pirate with pride, but you'll have to master the second half before you can be a Mighty Pirate(TM) like me."

Link stood dazed for a moment as he processed all this, plus his memories. Then he sighed and shrugged. He'd learned weirder. "Yes sir, Instructor Guybrush."

* * *

><p>19.2 (stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>"Brother! Wake up! Did you forget what day it was?"<p>

Link shook his head awake, and took stock. 'Right, time to put _that_ plan into action.'

"Hey Arryl, I need you to head back home, OK? I'll let you give me my present in a bit."

"How did you know I was giving you a present?"

"Because I'm your big brother! Now go in, and whatever happens, don't worry!"

"Huh?"

"Go!"

"OK!"

Link watched Arryl head back home. It was kind of mean what he was about to do, but it would be better than having his sister carried off again. He pulled some clothes and a wig out of his equipment, and scribbled out a letter to his Gran that he hastily stuffed in a nearby letterbox.

Changing clothes, he smiled at the sounds of cannon fire and bird squawks.

"Right. First class delivery- straight to Ganon!"

Equipping the Titan's Mitt, Link pulled out his bomb-arrows and waited for an ideal time to startle the over sized turkey. He saw his chance, and let loose the arrow.

It exploded, right in front of the Helmarock, startling it into dropping Tetra.

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap ahhhhhh-oomph!" Tetra lost the air in her lungs as Link caught her.

"Go inside before it catches you again," Link suggested.

"Ugh… Who are yo- Why are you dressed like me? Wait, you're a boy! Aren't you a little young to be a transvestite?"

"What? Oh for- it's not like that! I need the bird to think I'm you so it'll carry me away so I can kill its master! Now go away!"

"… Hard core. Whatever, you want to take the heat off me, that's fine with me! Good luck!"

"Shoo already! … Finally. Hey, birdo! Here I am, easy pickings!" Link waved his arms a few times. "Hope this works. It'll save a whole lot of time if it does…"

The Helmaroc King spotted him, swooped down, and then flew off, the 'girl' tightly bound in its clutches.

* * *

><p>"Geez, this thing sure is fast. Took what, eight hours to get here? Faster than Tetra's boat by a long shot. And look who is waiting for me, all ready to complete his plan," Link grinned in anticipation. It was always fun to think up new ways to kill, banish, or otherwise thwart Ganon, or whatever big bad was presiding over the particular era.<p>

As the vast bird started to descend, Link twisted in its grip and stabbed one of his many swords into the bird's abdomen. As it released him, he turned, firing his longshot down at the tower. He let the wind resistance rip off his costume, revealing his green tunic underneath. The boy was yanked through the air towards Ganon with Master sword held out to skewer him in one blow.

At the last moment, Ganon parried the blade, knocking Link aside. "And what are you supposed to be?"

"Me? I'm just the hero!"

"Heh. Ha ha ha! Your balls haven't dropped kid. Come back in a decade."

"Little cans hold lots of whoopass!" Link shouted, letting loose a few light arrows.

"Where did you get this ability? None should wield the arrows of light!" Ganon raged, dodging the bright shots and tossing a ball of crackling darkness.

"Just wait till I bust out my Silver arrows! I bet you don't even remember these things!"

"Curse you, brat! Die!"

Link watched another orb of ebon magic approach, the dark energy so dense it lensed the very light around it, and managed to dodge it- just barely. As he released another volley of arrows, the orb struck the ocean behind him, destroying gallons of sea-water before exploding in an eerily dark crack-a-boom.

Chunk.

"Ha!" Link shouted at the sight of a silver arrow sticking out of the fiend.

"It'll take more than that to defeat Ganon!"

"Oh I definitely agree. So, do you remember Silver arrows? 'Cause if you do, you might remember the Super Bomb."

Fsssssssshhh...

Ganon looked at the massive bomb the young boy hurled towards him. "Well, damn."

BOOM!

* * *

><p>Link floated down to the bottom level of the evil fortress, clutching the Sailcloth. The top level of the fortress was mostly wreckage, and bits and pieces were falling into the ocean all around. "They just don't build bombs like they used to! So. I think that wraps up that. Speed runs are fun!"<p>

* * *

><p>19.3<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda's Adventure, Part 5<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda blew a strand of hair out of her face as she trimmed the sail, pulling her craft around to take full advantage of the wind. She had been sailing around out here for almost a day, and she had yet to see any sign of the Zora. The only unusual thing she had spotted had been the large purplish patches of gunk that were floating around in the water. They didn't really give off that much of a smell, but they felt foul to Zelda's senses nonetheless.<p>

Tugging on a rope, she steered the boat around a particularly large patch of gunk, just as the sun caught her eye. Wincing, she turned away, and then she spotted the rock in the distance. It was barely visible as a small patch of shadow on the water, and Zelda was quick to turn to boat towards it. It may not be anything, but it was the first thing she had found yet, which in and of itself was rather worrying. Usually, at least one Zora patrol would have investigated a boat wandering around in their territory for so long. The fact that no one had shown up...

The domain of the Zoras in Hyrule was one of the things Zelda had found shifted from Loop to Loop. In almost every case, they lived in the Zora's Domain, their hidden underwater cavern to the northeast of Hyrule. However, in others, they lived out in the islands of the ocean, like they did in Termina or Labrynna. In this Loop, she had found that Zora's Domain appeared to have collapsed some time ago, with the Zora river coming from a small lake near where the waterfall used to be. However, tales told by several fishermen of the "devil-folk of the sea" led her out to the Northern Sea, another landmark that was unusual for her. She had theorized that whatever collapsed Zora's Domain drove the Zora out to sea. Hopefully, they would be willing to aid her as the Gorons had.

* * *

><p>Zelda arrived at the small rock and quickly pulled her boat up, lashing it to a small protruding stone. She then straightened up and took in the rock.<p>

The rock was actually rather large, though mostly submerged. Here and there, bits of it stuck up above the ocean, but the biggest parts were the one she was standing on, and a distant formation which looked something like a well.

'Tip #1: Check Everything' Zelda smiled as she quickly hopped her way from rock to rock. The acrobatic training of her Unawake self certainly helped here. Finally, with a final leap, she landed next to the large hole. Peering over the side, she couldn't make out a bottom. However, there was a rather large mass of seaweed growing in the shallows on the far side of the rock. The Deku Emerald quickly grew the seaweed into thick braid, which trailed down into the well. The seaweed itself felt odd and slippery, hard to manipulate. Zelda erred on the side of caution, spending several long seconds expanding the seaweed as much as she could, before climbing over and sliding down the rope.

The sliding part was entirely unintentional, as she had forgotten about how slick the seaweed was. Still, she was able to use the Gauntlet to keep from getting rope burn as she managed to slowed her sudden descent to a manageable pace, and she was pleasantly surprised to reach the bottom with a respectable length of seaweed left over. The floor of the shaft was covered in a few inches of seawater, but not nearly as much as she had feared. She waded her way over to a hole in the side that was obviously carved. A good sign that someone had lived here at some point.

The tunnel sloped down slightly, causing the water level to rise up to around her waist. Just when she was considering swimming, the trail leveled off, and then quickly opened up into a rather wide cavern, with a very familiar looking shrine sitting on an island in the middle.

Zelda sloshed over to the shrine, stepping quickly up a set of worn stairs set in the side, and arrived at the base of the fairy statue. She was slightly disappointed to not spy a gemstone in the hands of the fairy, but she was nonetheless happy to hear the characteristic laughter of a Great Fairy.

She turned to face the Great Fairy that had appeared above her and froze, gaping in shock and no small amount of horror. Nasty purple lines covered the left half of the Great Fairy's body, radiating out from her arm and hip.

"What...happened to you?" Zelda took a step forward, peering at the blemish.

The Great Fairy laughed again, and Zelda could hear a tired note running underneath her laughter. "I thank you for your concern, Daughter of Hyrule. The illness of the sea has spread even to myself. Darkness taints the water and maddens its children."

"The Zora? What's happened to them?"

The Great Fairy bowed her head, shaking it sadly. "Driven away by the Queen's madness, they fled to the ocean, bearing with them one of the jewels used to seal her. They were safe, for a time, but the darkness returned, and no hero rose to fight it. They have now lost themselves beneath the waves. The sea is stained with evil, and must be cleansed if the Zora are to regain their past."

Zelda straightened. "Where do I have to go?"

"Into the depths of the sea." And with that, the Great Fairy gestured with her unblemished arm. Immediately, a wave of water washed up around Zelda, forming into a large bubble around her. The bubble lifted off of the platform and slid sideways, splashing into the water before dropping into a hole concealed underneath the water. Zelda struggled to stay upright, and just barely caught the Great Fairy's parting words.

"Good luck. And trust the darkness."

* * *

><p>The ride in the bubble was rather bumpy, all things considered. After exiting the cave, the bubble had started to drift. Zelda had learned that she could manipulate the bubble's direction by leaning, and had slowly drifted down into the sea, avoiding the purple slime and several sharp rock formations on the way.<p>

As she descended, it grew darker and darker. Initially, Zelda thought of the Great Fairy's advice and simply moved into the darkness. However, after a rock formation she didn't spot in time almost punctured her bubble, Zelda decided discretion was the better part of valor and pushed magic into the Fairy Topaz, lighting up the undersea landscape.

Eventually, she came to a set of gates. It was rather odd, given that the water above the gates was clear, so she could simply float right over, but she recognized the architecture of the Zoras. Still, the streets she floated down remained depressingly empty. She floated along, the bubble just barely brushing the ground as she went. She tried to peer into some of the houses, but the bubble wouldn't fit, and she couldn't see anything inside.

'Where are they?' Zelda mused as she floated closer in to the center of the Zora City. Thus far, the only living thing she had seen on her underwater trip were a few snapping fish, which she managed to drive off with a few blasts of Fairy Magic, the spheres of light capable of leaving the bubble without damaging it.

Finally, she rounded a corner, and spotted the palace. It was a magnificent edifice of spiraling coral and stone, decorated with brilliant motifs. And, most wonderfully of all, there was a shimmer around the palace, that appeared to be a bubble of air! Quickly, Zelda leaned forward, using a few minor bounces to gain a bit of altitude with the bubble. And then, all hell broke loose.

Moments after she left the ground, Zoras began to pour out of houses surrounding the palace. Zelda wasn't sure if they had been waiting for her to arrive, or if they just hadn't noticed her until she lifted into the open water above the city, but they certainly noticed her now. Five Zora warriors approached, screeching and swinging razor sharp fins. Zelda was stunned by the madness shown in their eyes. When the Great Fairy had said that the Zoras were maddened by the pollution of the water, she hadn't thought that they were completely devoid of reason.

Still, for all of her surprise, Zelda had been prepared for something like this. She fired several bursts from the Fairy Topaz, blinding the Zora and causing them to veer away, giving her the chance to duck between to curving towers to gain some cover. A Zora following her met a Fairy Spark to face, and swam off, screeching. Zelda winced, before pulling a small seed from her pouch on her hip. Slowly, she fed the power of the Deku Emerald into the Bomb Flower seed, before pushing it against the side of the bubble. It wasn't mature enough to explode just yet, and she was hoping the bubble was permeable to let it out without popping.

Luck was with her. The bomb slid through with moderate resistance, and she sent a final burst of energy into the Bomb Flower, and promptly pushed away as fast as she could. Two Zora circled the tower she was behind, just as the bomb went off. The one unfortunate enough to have circled into the bomb went limp as it was struck by the concussive blast, knocking it end over end. Zelda, in her light bubble of air, was pushed past the other Zora, who was stunned by the blast from the bomb.

The palace was just across a boulevard from where Zelda was floating, and the way was clear. Zelda quickly pushed forward, another bomb growing in her hand. A group of Zora came from below, and met the Bomb as it dropped through the bubble. Zelda was a lot closer to that one, which knocked her bubble upward, and caused her to sprawl end over end within the bubble itself. She straightened, wobbling, tilting her body towards the palace, when a Zora came from above.

Zelda barely had time to raise the gauntlet between her and the Zora, before its blade cut through the sphere. In a last desperate attempt, Zelda knocked him back with a swinging kick as water rushed around her. Taking a last gulp of air, she aimed the Gauntlet behind her, and fired off the Goron Ruby.

When she was travelling away from Death Mountain, on her way to check the Zora's Domain, she had experimented with her new gem. It produced, as she had half-expected, a large fireball as a standard spell. However, its nifty trick came when she was touching something with the Gauntlet. When she was touching a wooden stick, for instance, the Ruby would light the stick like a torch, while when she was touching a rock, it would heat up and blast off in a minor explosion. She hadn't tried it underwater, but she was grateful when she felt the spell catch, hoping to use its power for propulsion. The water around her gauntlet super-heated, bursting into steam, which sent her rocketing forward...straight into the outer wall of the palace.

Her head rang with the impact, and darkness rose to claim her as she sunk towards the bottom of the sea, then nothingness.

* * *

><p>19.4 (Umbra)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda woke up this loop in a somewhat large boat; befitting the pirate persona her loop memories were explaining to her. She had a small utility belt holding a couple of items, such as a small scimitar and a couple of bottles.<p>

The wind was stagnant though, and the boat was basically standing in place.

Pulling out a spyglass from her belt, she looked around the area for any near land mas-

She removed the spyglass from her eye, and just looked.

She was in the middle of Lake Hylia.

Putting the spyglass back in her belt, she stood there for a second, before finally, placing her palm firmly upon her forehead.

* * *

><p>19.5 (tovath)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda Awoke on her knees. She was in front of an altar.<p>

"Princess Ovelia, Let's go."

"Just a moment, Agrias" The words slipped out of Zelda's mouth as she worked on sorting through her Loop memories. She turned back to the altar and quickly sorted through them while pretending to pray. Apparently, she was a princess like in her home loop, but this world was nothing like Hyrule. This land was called Ivalice and there appeared to be a good deal of civil unrest here, although she couldn't tell how much from the memories of the innocent girl who she had been before Awakening. She had not grown up at court here, but rather at various monasteries and other church institutions. This did not bode well for her independence, for nowhere in the memories did she see an older brother or other clear heir to the throne. This was a perfect setup for someone to make her into a puppet queen. That was not going to happen on her watch.

Behind her, the woman called Agrias said, "The guards have already arrived."

A man, who Zelda's loop memories said was named Simon Penn-Lachish, spoke up, "Princess, don't give Agrias trouble. Please hurry."

As Zelda turned to face her bodyguard and her teacher, three men came in the main chapel door. The older of the three was wearing a brown hood and breastplate. He immediately started arguing with Agrias. It was the blonde young man to the right who interested Zelda. He looked surprised, no, shocked, once he got a look at her face, obviously expecting something he did not find. Hopefully this meant that he was a Looper, or even better this world's Anchor. She needed more concrete information about this world, especially about the political factions. She could not, however, ask him anything with all this yelling going on.

"Besides, we're hired by the Hokuten. I'm not obliged to show respect to you," bellowed the old soldier.

"What? How dare you?" yelled back Agrias just as loudly.

Before things got worse Zelda cut in. "Enough. We will not get anywhere by arguing."

The door the men had come though creaked open again. A badly wounded female knight stumbled in, trembling. "Lady Agrias!...The enemy!" She said as she collapsed, her blood pooling on the stones below her. Zelda had been hoping for a little more time to figure out this world before events started transpiring.

"Prince Goltana's men?" Simon asked the woman as he knelt down to tend to her wounds.

Agrias ran out the door.

"What one must do to make money." said the old soldier grinning, before glancing at the young man next to him. "What is it, Ramza? You have a problem too?"

"I better stay to guard the princess. After all only a fool attacks head on. I don't think the enemy is that kind of fool."

"Whatever, you don't get any loot if you don't fight." the man shot back with a good deal more venom than such a polite statement should get as he left.

After he was gone, Ramza turned to her with mistrust in his eyes. "You are not Ovelia."

"No, I seem to be replacing her this Loop though. Are you the local Anchor?"

"Anchor? What are you talking about?"

"You are repeating the same events over and over, right?" At his nod she continued, "I will have to give you the Welcome to the Multiverse speech then. How long do we have before something happens?"

"In a few minutes Delita is going to come in and try to kidnap you."

Something in the Ramza's voice told her he had a history with this Delita. Zelda sighed, "What should we do about him?"

"I'm not sure, I don't want him to die. He used to be my best friend, but we won't be able to talk him out of his plan in time."

'_I could use the Magic Cape. It might be more of a mana hog then that mask of Link's but it could cover two people if they stood close together.'_ Zelda nodded to herself and then spoke aloud, "I have an idea, but first I think I should introduce myself properly. I am Zelda of Hyrule." She pulled a red cape out of her Subspace Pocket. Noticing Ramza's look of surprise she said, "One of the things I will be teaching you is how to make your own subspace pocket." She unfurled the cape. "First things first, however. This is the Magic Cape. It can make it so no one can see us, but we are going to have to stand very close for it to cover both of us."

There were sounds from outside. "Quick, into the shadows," She whispered before she pulled the cape around both of them. It was a little awkward standing like this, hopefully, they wouldn't have to move. There was no way she could keep them both covered if that happened.

A man, who she assumed was Delita, came running in. He looked around, his face quickly shifting to anger, and left with a few curse words. After she was sure he was gone, Zelda pulled away and removed the cloak. "I better give at least the first part of the speech before anything else happens."

She then started to explain about Yggdrasil and how the Admins were trying to fix it. Fortunately she had her notes organized so that she could give this speech in sections. Given the hurried way things were going in this Loop so far, she was likely to need to.

"...and when that happens, such as now, it is known as a Fused Loop. Now, before we get into the next section, do you have any questions?"

"Why is someone chosen as an Anchor?"

That question was not what most people asked first, and it took a moment for Zelda to gather her thoughts. "I believe, and understand that I haven't had any long conversations with them, that the Admins chose the person who is best able to withstand the stress of the position."

Ramza wiped tears out of his eyes. "Thank you, I've been wondering why me for so long."

"There is one more thing. It is what I really wanted to hear when I first began, and should bring some comfort. Others will start Looping. You won't be alone forever."

* * *

><p>19.6 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>"You are a most youthful individual for freeing the beautiful green beast of the great sea, Tingle, from his imprisonment!" Tingle said when he was freed, using exaggerated poses and movements.<p>

Link wasn't quite sure what was happening. Everything seemed normal when Awoke in the Great Sea, which he decided to do mostly baseline for, but seeing a Tinglefied Maito Gai was currently throwing him for a loop. Those eyebrows...

"The flames of youth must burn brightly in such a heroic and fashionably dressed person. And since you have freed me I shall give you a most righteous gift. Tingle Tingle FLAMES OF YOUTH-A." Once the confetti and light show from the Maito Gai-Tingle hybrid had ended, Link looked at the gift in his hands.

An exact replica of Tingle's green jumpsuit.

Grabbing the suit with a flourish, Tingle explained "This bodysuit is durable, will fit perfectly every time, and holds no moisture. This is the perfect bodysuit for training and heroics deeds." Tingle proceeded to expertly fold up the suit and placed it back into the hands of a dumbfounded Link.

"Thanks", was all Link was able to say in response.

"Hmph. And if it does not aid you in your youthful quest, then I will do One Thousand pushups, and if that does not help then I will do Two Thousand Squats. And that still does not help then I shall swim the length of the Great Sea One Hundred times. And if that do…"

"No. No. I'm sure it will aid me greatly in my journey." Link said, cutting off Tingle Gai's (Might Tingle's?) tirade.

"In that case allow me to mark the location of Tingle Island on your map. When you stop by I will do all I can to aid you." Tingle Gai ended his promise with the good guy pose. Then he proceeded to waddle out of the door, leaving Link trying to figure out what just happened.

* * *

><p>If there was one place Link did not want to be right now, it would be Tingle Island. He did not even need to come here since he already knew where all the Triforce shards were (or should be, at least). But he was too curious about his previous encounter with Tingle, and it was starting to eat at him. This is why he was climbing up the ladder of Tingle Tower.<p>

"Ah ha. If it isn't the most youthful hero, have you come to see Tingle, the Beautiful Green Beast of the Great Sea, and his home?" exclaimed Tingle Gai when he noticed Link was standing nearby. For his part, Link simply nodded as he walked closer.

"Ah, then let me introduce you to my Tingle Brothers." Tingle Gai said, leading Link over to two other individuals.

"This is my most wondrous younger brother and pupil, Ankle." Tingle Gai said, gesturing to a person that resembled a younger version of him. Wearing the same jumpsuit with warmers on his arms and legs, and had similar bushy brows and bowl cut hair style.

"Yes. It is an honor to meet another youthful individual in these lands." Ankle said to Link, shaking his hand with a granite grip.

"And over there is David Jr., my most hip and cool rival. David, meet Link, a youthful Hero on a most righteous quest."

David Jr. was leaning against the tower's wall, wearing dark grey clothing with an eye patch over his left eye. Lowering the book he was reading, David glanced over at Tingle with a bored expression. "Huh. You say something?"

"Curse you, David, for being so cool." Tingle wailed with a look of dismay, cupping his face and bowing his head.

"Tingle-sensei, do not give into despair. For your FIRES OF YOUTH burn brighter than David's hip and cool attitude." Ankle cried, determined to raise Tingle Gai's spirits.

"You are correct, my most youthful student. I must endeavor to go beyond David's skill and attitude. To do that, I shall walk on my hands around Tingle Island one thousand times. And if I cannot do that then I shall do two thousand sit-ups."

"If you cannot do that Tingle-sensei, than I shall swim to Outset Island with only my arms." Ankle exclaimed.

"Ankle."

"Tingle-sensei."

"Ankle."

"Tingle-sensei."

Crying anime tears, Tingle and Ankle embraced each other, causing an illusion of a sunset on a tropical beach to form behind them.

Seeing all of this from start to finish, Link was sure of one thing. His curiosity needed to be tied up, locked in a steel box, and buried. Preferably after being set on fire.

* * *

><p>19.7<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda sighed before pulling out her spyglass as she once again found herself waking up on a boat. She glanced through it, paused, then slowly panned her view upwards.<p>

"Oh, now this is just ridiculous." She muttered as she stared at the massive green stalk of a blade of grass. Once again, she had Awoken as a pirate on Lake Hylia. However, this time, she was a Picori Pirate, and her boat was made out of a large leaf.

* * *

><p>19.8 (Thantos's Scribe)<p>

* * *

><p>Link looked at the veritable horde of monsters, from Darknuts to Redead, in front of him and smirked. While this may have stopped him, or at least slowed him down, a few Loops ago, he had recently learned a new tune from a Fused Loop with the Mushroom Kingdom that would be perfect for this scenario.<p>

Taking out his ocarina, Link took a deep breath and began to play while the opposing army closed in on him.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf let out a laugh as he looked over the horde assembled in front of his castle. While it had taken him much more than the regular amount of magic to create this army, he was certain that it would stop Link. There was no way the Hero of Time could get through to him now!<p>

Ganondorf stopped laughing as he heard a tune reach his ears, then saw a whirlwind whip through his army and up to his castle until it stopped in front of him, revealing said Hero with ocarina in hand.

"Well, Ganondorf, what do you think of the Wind Warp Waltz?" Link quipped, and Ganondorf let out a cry of rage as he charged at the wielder of the Triforce of Courage. He had spent dozens of Loops saving up magic for this grand army!

* * *

><p>19.9 (Stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>Link to the Future, Part 1<p>

* * *

><p>His ship flew through the void, towards an imaginary point in space where it would intersect the enemy's sloop, which held his target. Agent Link glanced over the <em>Epona<em>'s HUD, finding everything optimal, before nearly collapsing from a searing head-pain.

"Link, are you all right? Your suit is recording odd biometrics- wait, back to normal. How strange, I'll flag it for review."

"I'm fine, _NAVI_," Link answered as he Awakened. Under his TAC-suit, his fist glowed, and got two pings back. He took a deep breath. This was going to be one of those loops, he could tell.

His local memories were quite interesting. He was an elite agent for the Hyrulian Alliance, the governing body over one half of the binary star system that all local humanity called home. Apparently the planets orbiting around the other star had all stayed independent from one another, until Ganon created a centralized powerbase, and subsumed their governments one by one.

Now unified under Ganon, the whole of the Aperian system was about to make war against the Hyrulian Alliance. And if he didn't pull this rescue mission off, they would start with a large advantage to their name.

"Two hours until visual range, Link. You seem troubled, are you certain you are alright?"

"I'm fine _NAVI_, just a bit anxious. I'll feel fine once I've boarded and can let some of this energy out."

"Hmmph. Typical. Try to keep in mind this is a stealth mission. How do you expect to get Ambassador Zelda out in the middle of a fire fight?"

"Have you ever heard her get mad? All I'll have to do is get her free- she'll give them all such a tongue-lashing, they'll pay me to escort her out," Link snickered.

"I highly doubt that," _NAVI _(Non-Artificial-Virtual-Intelligence) said disapprovingly.

"Don't worry, I promise this will go smooth."

"You said that about Operation C.U.C.C.O."

Link paused a second, replaying 'his' memory of the events in question. He snorted. "That mission was fated to be a royal cluster. And I still carried out the primary mission goals, so I don't want to hear about it."

"Fine. Go do a light workout or something. Let some of that nervous energy out. I'll let you know if anything happens."

"Of course."

Link got out of the control seat and walked back past the bedroom and the bathroom, such as they were. Epona was a small, Stiletto-class blockade-runner. Or at least she was before the Hyrulian Royal Dockyards modified her. Now she was a shadow. Outfitted with a bleeding-edge stealth system and more legs than a tug, there wasn't a whole lot of room for luxuries. Somehow a small gym ranked higher in priority than a proper bed, a fact he could remember having complained about several times.

At the moment, he was quite glad to have it. He was used to being a free agent, doing whatever was necessary to save the world. Having minders was going to put a serious crimp in his style, especially if he had to play by their house-rules. He'd probably have to go native until he and Zelda came up with a game plan.

That meant CQC and laze-guns, rather than swords and sorcery. Link grabbed his knife out of the TAC suit and started going through some katas.

"This could be pretty useful if Ganon ever manages to get moblins to attack more than one at a time…" Link thought, driving the knife into an imaginary foe.

Without thinking, he sent energy out into the knife and spun, slashing through the circle of Lizalfos he imagined around him.

"What just happened? Your biometrics went off the charts for a moment! Link!" _NAVI _shouted from inside his helmet.

Link mentally groaned. This was going to get old quick. "I'm fine. I wanted to try something out. It must have jostled the sensors."

"You can't 'jostle' the sensors, Link. The biometric system in your suit is the product of decades of work in-"

"Whoops, I feel another jostle coming on," Link said with a smile, as he released the charge in his knife into another spin.

"ERROR detected- Stop doing whatever you're doing!" _NAVI _demanded. "I don't- ERROR detected- know how you're doing- ERROR detected- I said stop it!"

"Ah, I feel better now. Burritos are definitely better on the way in than out!" Link declared with a wide grin. He was glad that the interior of the ship didn't have any cameras for _NAVI _to hijack, he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"You haven't had burritos for 2.84 months, and they most certainly can't jostle the biometrics! Going in or out!"

"Fine, sign me up for a checkup when we get back from this mission," Link said.

"Oh believe me, you're signed up for a full workup, just be glad I can't discipline you!"

'_So much for keeping a low profile. Whatever, I'll figure it out later_.' Link thought, sliding home his knife as he headed to the bedroom.

"Wake me up when we get there, _NAVI_."

"Fine."

* * *

><p>"Hey! Wake up!"<p>

"Deku Tree will die whether or not I get another 5 minutes of sleep, Navi," Link mumbled, half into his pillow.

"… ... Su-ure. In the _mean _time, you can get your ass up and save the ambassador. I swear, what has gotten into you?"

Having gained consciousness, Link sprang out of bed, and promptly collapsed on the floor. "Stupid vertical sleeping-bag-bed."

"I've got a snack warming in the cook-box, as usual. We're 5 minutes from visual range, and another 5 to rendezvous."

"Right. This should be easy, unless they've come up with a counter to our stealth system overnight."

"Agreed, Link."

Link reached into the cook-box. "… Really, a burrito?"

"Chimichanga, technically, there weren't any burritos in storage… What, virtual intelligences aren't allowed to make jokes?"

"Not funny ones, I'm sure there's a law of robotics about it."

* * *

><p>There was a vibration as the two ships connected. Hopefully, the crew would think it was a micro meteorite or something. Getting boarded out of the middle of nowhere by an invisible ship wasn't high on the list of contingencies to plan for.<p>

_NAVI _started hacking the airlock immediately. This would be one of the most unpredictable parts of the mission. If there were any crew nearby, none of them would miss the airlock cycling.

"We're through. Opening the doors, Link."

Link grunted, and cradled his laz-pistol.

CHUNKA CHUNKA

He ran through the now open pathway into the hallway of the enemy's ship. A guard in smooth red composite armor turned around at the commotion, only to receive a bolt of laz in the face. They slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Link surveyed both sides of the hall. No one else was present. He was in.

* * *

><p>19.10 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda blinked as she Woke up, only to find herself once again on a ship. A black ship that seemed vaguely familiar but she could not place where it was from. Resigning herself to the situation, she once again used her spyglass to look around. Only to see vast white desert with no water in sight.<p>

And then her loop memories hit.

"Captain Jacqueline Sparrow" She sighed with a face palm.

* * *

><p>19.11 (cipher100)<p>

* * *

><p>"I am really starting to dislike my curiosity right now," muttered Link, as he once again found himself in the Great Sea and against his better judgment was climbing the ladder of Tingle Tower.<p>

It seemed whenever he came to see Tingle, he was forced to deal with wacky or strange situations. Link was starting to think it was karmic feedback for using Tingle as a test subject/punching bag for all of those loops. He was still getting flashbacks of the Tingle Gai event.

Unfortunately for Link, his curiosity, which was supposed to be in time-out, was forcing him to seek the short green garbed man to ask a single question.

Why do they push that turn-style on the tower?

"Oh. Hello Mr. Fairy, are you here for Tingle's help?" Tingle called out as he walked over to Link, suction cup footsteps and all.

"No. Actually I was just wondering why you and your 'brothers' are always pushing that crank in the center of the tower?" Link replied, indicating the said contraption. Tingle in return places his hand on his chin and looks at Link with a contemplative expression. After a while he seemed to have made a decision.

"Mr. Fairy, you seem to be a trustworthy individual, and since you saved me from imprisonment. I will tell you what it truly is." Tingle said with a serious voice Link had not heard from him before.

"The top of the tower houses a Hyper Space Interstellar Distress Beacon." Tingle calmly informed Link.

"What? Why do have that and why do you need it?" Link exclaimed in disbelief.

"Because, we are not from this world Mr. Fairy, our home world, Elgnit, is over 10,000 light years away in the Din Nebula. Our ship crash landed when it malfunctioned due to spatial distortion." Tingle replied.

"Okay, that explains a few things (for this Loop, anyway), but it still doesn't answer my previous question."

"When we encountered the distortion, it disrupted several of the ship's systems, particularly the primary and auxiliary power cores. Even the emergency power was rendered inoperable." Tingle explained. "The only way we could power the beacon was to build a generator. Unfortunately the only way we can get enough power is to turn it manually."

After explaining his brother's and his predicament, Tingle's usual cheer had been replaced by melancholy, saddened at having to remember the events that put them in this situation. Link was also affected by the news as well. In a sense, he was in the same situation when it came to the loops, knowing where Home is but unable to reach it.

Breaking the silence, Tingle said. "Probably the worst part, Mr. Fairy, is that we have no idea when or even if we will be rescued. Our people rarely journey into this corner of space. Not only that, we were only able to salvage so much from our ship before it fell into the sea. That was how I was able to give you the Tingle Tuner after all."

Upon hearing this Link pulled out said device and peered at it. Of all the things he had been expecting, this was nowhere near what he had thought. Tingle was an actual ALIEN stranded on a planet with little chance of being rescued, doomed not to see his home again.

* * *

><p>Somewhere out in deep space, a lone space craft that looked like a rupee with wings was currently plotting a course to the distress signal that it had recently detected. The signal had a transponder number of a ship that many thought would never be seen again.<p>

The Tingle brothers were going home.

* * *

><p>19.12<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf broke out into a fit of maniacal laughter for the fifth time in the last hour, as he once again read over the scrawled letter from one of his minions. He couldn't believe that the small gamble he'd made on a whim at the end of one Loop had actually come to fruition. Ganondorf had often been frustrated at Zelda's habit of starting up alternate histories for the Loops, and how almost all of them seemed to end up with Ganondorf entering in some awkward family relationship with one or either of his fellow Co-Anchors. Ganondorf had tried to make his own changes to the flow of history, but they all tended to blow up in his face. A perfect example was the Loop before last. A while ago, he had set up the Gerudo as a dominant economic power in the world, only to wake up the Loop before last as an enslaved Hylian under the Gerudo Empire. He'd had to inspire a rebellion against the very Empire he had helped found. What a waste.<p>

Ganondorf chuckled again as his eye found the letter on his desk. This time, however, it seemed that his attempt to change things had paid off beautifully. An Unawake Link had beaten him to the Triforce as an adult, and it had lead to the events that would cause the Great Flood. The Loop had lasted long enough for Ganondorf to break free after Link returned to the past, and he had decided to try something he had been discussing with Dumbledore the last time he was at Hogwarts.

Most prophecies are false. In almost every case, a prophecy is just a declaration of a potential future, picked out from thousands of equally valid futures. What gives a prophecy power is the meaning that the general populace give to it, and to a certain extent, how dramatically the original prophecy is delivered. Apparently, a dramatic prophetic declaration atop a mountain while facing a dark army will almost always come true, while the same declaration made to your local baker while picking up a couple of loaves will have virtually no power. Dumbledore had shown him a massive study that he had performed, and the evidence was compelling, if somewhat sparse.

In any case, as the goddesses sent the pouring rains to cover up Hyrule, Ganondorf had raised a hill outside of the Hyrule Castle and shouted to the heavens:

"Ye Proud Goddesses, that condemn your darkest children to a grave beneath the sea.

I am the chosen king, the Lord of the Desert, decreed by your sages to lead my people to greatness!

Yet, you have abandoned me, the Chosen of Power, and all those that followed me.

We seek a better lot, and we shall claim it, even if we must cast your proud, skyborn children down to do so!

I prophesy, a hero will be raised among the dark legions, a humble moblin, born with hair of gold.

He shall take up the garb of your hero, but he shall oppose your arrogance,

and he shall bring the oppressed darkness up to the pinnacles of the skies!"

He thought it rather impressive, given that he had been ad-libbing the entire time. Naturally, moments later, the waters had come down and the Loop had ended, so Ganondorf had pretty much forgotten about it. Now, however, he had Awakened in the Forbidden Fortress, holding a small note from on of the moblin captains.

'Mi wify haz beby. Gooldy hair, lik yu saez. Gunna be Mobbly heroik'

Ganondorf could feel Link through his bond to the Triforce, but the connection was dull, Link was still Unawake. And Ganondorf knew he had just the right gift to wake Link up (or at least set up a funny picture when Link Awakened).

* * *

><p>"Here is yu hat. Taken gud cares of it, and go beaten da goddsees."<p>

Link automatically reached out and took the hat from his mother, arraigning it on his head, as he sorted through his Loop Memories. It was a rather simple task, as up to a minute ago, his thoughts had centered around either food or swords.

'Well, this is embarrassing. How can I be a better natural swordsman as a Moblin than as a Hylian?' Link had gained a truly epic amount of skill as a swordsman throughout the Loops, but none of his incarnations had the level of natural talent that his current Moblin self did. Apparently, he had drawn his first sword at a month old, and had been training to use one ever since. Now, at seven years old (verging on adulthood for a Moblin), he was the most talented swordsman out of any Moblin Link had ever seen, capable of dual wielding any two blades with lethal precision. 'I hope some of this talent bleeds over.'

Then the door opened, and Link groaned as the figure on the other side walked in.

"Now, now Linky, aren't you happy to see your Uncle Ganon?" Ganondorf laughed as Link buried his head in his hands. Off to the side, Link's Loop Parents looked vaguely confused (so, exactly like they always did).

* * *

><p>19.1 - Link once beat a Loop using only a Deku Stick. His next goal, is to beat it using only the Rubber-Chicken-With-A-Pulley-In-The-Middle.<p>

19.2 - Speed Runs are fun.

19.3 - Will Zelda survive? Find out next time on the Legend of Zelda: This Adventure Is Actually About Zelda This Time.

19.4 - Zelda, Pirate of the Lake

19.5 - Zelda is one of the more proactive princesses in the Multiverse.

19.6 - Link started running when Tingle offered to teach him how to open the Eight Fairy Gates.

19.7 - Zelda, Pirate of the Puddle

19.8 - Wind Warping Around!

19.9 - Link's new motto: Blame it on the burrito.

19.10 - Zelda, Pirate of the...sand crab things.

19.11 - Tingle phone home.

19.12 - Link iz gud Mobbly heroik.


	20. Chapter 20

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: Dungeoning across Time and Space**

Disclaimer: And thus, I must reveal, that I do not own the Legend of Zelda

* * *

><p>20.X<p>

* * *

><p>Hyrule Warriors, Initialize<p>

* * *

><p>Loki took a sip of coffee as he moved back towards his office. It had been a busy afternoon, and he still had a couple of new Loopers to check up on.<p>

"...call me anytime."

Loki paused as the door to a nearby office pulled open, and Jormungandr slid out of the office, heading off down the corridor across from Loki. Blinking, Loki peered into the office Jorg had just left.

"I have to say, Jorg isn't the one of my children I would normally be expecting to see exiting your office."

Epona looked up at Loki's statement, her eyes unfocused, before she snapped out of her thoughts and frowned. "Haha, very funny. Jorg was just helping finish setting up another Loop Base for Hyrule. Hecate was in here with us earlier to pass along some of the code underlying Smash Brothers, to help stabilize multiple Looper entries." Epona shook her head tiredly. "This is such a mess."

Loki chuckled. "Susanoo break something again?"

Epona sighed. "I thought so at first, but no. I actually think it is just a product of the Event that started this mess, it's just gone unnoticed until now." Epona pulled up a Time Loop Mapping diagram. "You know how Hyrule doesn't have a conventional Baseline, they just Loop over select portions of their world's timeline?"

Loki nodded. "Yes, I remember. A quite ingenious way to stabilize their entire world quickly, without needing a bunch of immortal Loopers to sustain a single long Loop."

Epona nodded. "Well, apparently it wasn't as stable as we thought. Apparently, small time glitches have been accumulating around Hyrule for a while, essentially micro-time gates like the Branches around Alara were dealing with for a while. The Loops were suppressing them, but they weren't just going away. And, the alarm that should have alerted us to all of this was somehow redirected to my coffee maker. Every time one of these time snares popped up, it made a fresh batch."

Loki blinked, before he glanced towards the machine in question. "So...the reason you always have fresh coffee is because of glitches in the mainframe of your assigned universe?"

Epona giggled, nodding. "Yep."

"So how did you fix it?"

"Focused it all into a single branch. Hyrule operates under the Major Branching Timeline Rules, so I was able to isolate a potential branch that already contained time travel. It was a pretty standard go-back-and-win-the-war-before-it-begins situation, I just...amplified it a bit."

Loki nodded as he saw where it was going. "You amplified the in-Loop time disturbances to accommodate the glitches in the substrata, and then I'm guessing you used Jorg's improved Ouroboros design to safeguard it."

Epona nodded. "Yep, and the method we used to pre-load the Loop history meshed in very well. When an iteration loads in the Time Looping branch, it loads up a single, untouched version of Hyrule's history up to the branch point, including some divergences, and then the in-Loop time gates simply travel within the pre-established history, ensuring that none of the gates will try and cross Loops. Worst comes to worst, all they will do is crash the Loop."

"Impressive. Given that you mentioned Hecate was involved, I am guessing that it will function as a Safe Mode Universe?"

Epona shrugged. "Sort of. It isn't as stable as I would like for a Safe Mode, given all of the time travel, and there are some unique beings there that have been flagged as Potential Loopers, but it will be able to sustain the Loopers if I need to do wide-scale maintenance to Hyrule's structure."

Loki straightened up. "Well, I will leave you to it."

* * *

><p>20.1 (AbZHz101)<p>

* * *

><p>Link danced away from Volvagia's fiery mane. This wasn't the first time he'd fought the gigantic dragon, but it was looking like it was going to be the hardest. Not because Link didn't have the skills or equipment to slay him, but because he honestly didn't want to.<p>

It had begun earlier in the Loop. Link had found himself again at the point of timeline divergence, and he had found himself bored with altering things. The Loop had seemed to be a slight variant anyway, so he had decided to just play along with whatever happened. Then, he had noticed a vendor that had a baby dragon for sale. Slipping closer, Link had found himself looking at a baby Volvagia, the beast that so often was freed to terrorize the Goron by Ganon seven years in the future. Thinking that if he bought Volvagia now then Ganon would not be able to, and thus would be deprived a Temple Watcher, ultimately making Link's job all the easier, Link had put up the Rupees to buy the little beast.

That had seemed to have been a mistake at first. The snarling little lizard had only cared about himself and food, or so it had felt to Link. He had constantly had to shell out to pay for the things that Volvagia broke or ate...or both. This had lasted up until, Link had been surprised by a Stalchild, having been distracted at dark musings of ending the little menace. Granted, with the extra powers granted to him by Looping, it likely wouldn't have been truly dangerous, more just embarrassing, but he had been spared even that... by Volvagia's intervention. Volvagia had torn apart the Stalchild, and after that, Link had truly begun to think of Volvagia as a friend. But when he had gone to the Temple of Time, he didn't think to bring Volvagia with him.

That was what this entire situation had come down to, he didn't think. He didn't think to bring Volvagia with him; he didn't think to check on the dragon after coming to this point in the timeline; he didn't think to carry items that could remove mental influences or learn how to do it himself-even though it had happened to Zelda at least one occasion in Baseline! And because he didn't think now his friend would have to pay.

Volvagia's eyes were dull, they didn't have a spark of intelligence and barely any life in them. He ducked a swipe from Volvagia's razor sharp talons, trying to concentrate on a way that everyone he cared about could walk away happy. The Unawake Shiek/Zelda telling him that the only way to free Volvagia was to kill him was most definitely not helping matters!

'Come on, Triforce, show me the way!' he thought desperately to his Loop's true Anchor. And in the Triforce's response, Link knew despair. It is said that the Triforce of Courage had many powers, one of the more esoteric ones being the ability to guide it's bearer to victory, no matter how slim the chances. Right now, for Link Victory would be saving Volvagia from the brainwashing and not having to kill him. All Link saw was how to part the mighty creature from his head. Steeling himself, Link danced through Volvagia's defenses, and with a sound that he thought was Snicker-snack, Volvagia's head fell to the earth.

The dragon's eyes gleamed for but a moment, and a tear fell as the head mouthed the word "Link" once. Then the eyes dulled, the head tried to speak no more. Volvagia was dead.

Link stood there for a moment, his own tears staining the long-parched earth below him. Then shakily, Link pulled out the Ocarina. And he began to play. He could do nothing for Volvagia while the dragon had breathed, but there was one thing he could do now. The song was one he knew well, he used it so often within a decade (for him) of these events. A Song to put the spirits of the dead at ease. The Song of Healing.

'_Screw this Loop'_. He didn't know if more former friends awaited him now as enemies, but he decided he wouldn't find out. Link had already used something he technically shouldn't have at the moment in the Song of Healing. Now his plans for the Loop were very simple and straight to the point. First, he was going to give Volvagia a proper burial, no small task given that he was taking on a fully grown dragon corpse, but manageable. Next, he was swiftly and brutally killing Ganon, no playing around, not stopping until he was dead. Ganon wasn't Awake so he wouldn't raise a fuss about it later. Finally, when he was sent back into the past, he was going to find Volvagia, make up leaving him behind somehow and not let him out of sight until Ganon was shoved into the Twilight Mirror, probably not even then. ...It'd might be interesting how he and Termina reacted to each other.

* * *

><p>20.2 (Conceptualist)<p>

* * *

><p>Link was having a very bad day.<p>

Well, it was more of it being a bad Loop altogether.

First, Link awoke mid sword swing. Naturally, he followed through on the attack, as he internally focused on processing his loop memories. Link had a few blissful seconds of ignorance before the memory of exactly what he was attacking filtered through. In addition to that, the memory of what he had said right before he Awakened seemed to taunt him. Link knew, he just knew, he would pay dearly for his UnAwake self saying "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

And then Link was on the run from flock of angry Cuccos. So much pain. So very, very much.

After that unpleasant Awakening, Link was determined to not let this Loop get him down. He was the Hero of Hyrule! There was nothing he couldn't handle and no Dungeon he could not defeat (with the right equipment, of course).

However, this iteration seemed to be out to get him. More than the usual Hordes of Unending Enemies and huge Boss Monsters and Doom and whatnot.

The very first Dungeon he had to get through was an Ice Temple. If it wasn't for the cold weather gear he had subspaced recently, he probably would have frozen to death. Many times over. Link's spell of Din's Fire saw more use in just this dungeon than the past twelve loops combined.

Worst yet, it seemed that this Dungeon didn't have anything to add to his equipment. Not even a Lantern. He wound up completing the exploration at a loss, as one of his favorite Clawshots broke down from the internal gears icing over. Which wouldn't have been so bad, if he wasn't using it to cross over a minor water area at the time. Brr.

Eventually Link did manage to find the Boss Key and defeat the Boss. A makeshift flamethrower featured heavy in defeating it, as did multitudes of Bomb Arrows and the Fire Rod. Which also tragically broke, just like the Hook Shot did earlier.

After the horrible, icy travesty that was the Ice Temple, Link was looking forward to something a tad warmer.

He should have expected that a Fire Temple was next. Only, it wasn't just built into a volcano like normal. This Fire Temple went deep underground, all they way to the bedrock layers of the crust. The trek down was long and full of pitfalls. Ice Arrows featured heavily as a method of stopping lava flows and shoring up the tunnels. Several Red Tunics were layered on top of each other, etc, etc. Suffice to say, it was a tad too warm for Link's taste.

And the less said about the Dungeon Boss, the better. It wasn't one of the more difficult of deadly boss fights Link had done over the course of the loops. But it was annoying as they could get. It regenerated from heat, so with all the fires it started, it was healed damn quick. It was invincible to bombs. It was a magivore, which meant that paradoxically Ice Arrows made it stronger. The only way to defeat it was to smash it's face in with the Master Sword until it decided that Link was more trouble than he was worth.

And the loop just stretched on and on, continuing in this vein for quite some time. Many more stupidly difficult Dungeons and Dungeon Bosses later, as well as a good deal of Link's subspaced equipment getting broke or badly damaged, it was finally over.

Well. Almost over, at any rate. Last stage of the adventure. Break the magic blocking his way into the castle, save the UnAwake Zelda and beat the ever lovin' hell out of the UnAwake Ganondorf.

Magic Keys were put in equally magic locks. The Keys turned, and a force field shut down. Link charged though the now unbarred castle gate, ready to relive all the frustration and fury that had built up from this highly annoying adventure. At last, some satisfaction instead of more of the same frustrating and horrid Dungeons, with their poor layout and imbalanced bosses. Soon, the person who was behind all of this would pay.

And then the loop ended, quite suddenly and with no warning whatsoever. As Link Awoke in the next iteration, his brow twitched quite comically.

* * *

><p>20.3 (stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>"Where is my throne? Where are my minions?"<p>

"Er, you don't have a throne Groose. And we object to being called 'minions'," Cawlin answered.

"What fresh hell is this? Wait, I can feel the triforce, this is our reality!"

"Um, Groose, base to Groose? Are you feeling all right?" Stritch asked.

"I think he's having one of those moments…" Cawlin stage-whispered.

"Ugh, all of civilization is contained on less than ten flying islands? This era is a miserable blight upon the rich tapestry of Hyrulean history. Fine. I've conquered worlds with less… I know Link?"

"Well sure, Groose, everyone knows Link. Come on, snap out of it! We need to sabotage Link's Loftwing so you can win the race."

"I don't need to sabotage anything to win… Although if he is Awake, maybe I should sabotage him anyway. Get him out of the way early, so I can make my move unopposed except by Zelda… Oh Tingle on a biscuit, why am I aroused by the thought of the wench?"

"Uh, TMI Groose, but probably because she is the prettiest, most eligible babe on the island?"

"Oh this is surely some karmic vengeance for all the orphans I've killed, isn't it?"

"Um, I'm not sure, but can you stop being creepy?"

"I've had enough of your babbling! Return to the matter you consist of!"

Ganon flung a pair of energy bolts at the two boys, and walked off in search of Link's bird as two piles of ash fell upon the floor of the school.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile- in Link's room<strong>:

SNOOOOOORE

…

SNOOOOOORE

* * *

><p>20.4<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf paused as he Awakened while walking down a hallway. He was dressed in some rather elaborate, and ultimately pointless finery, so it was a safe bet that he was once again a member of the Hyrule Royal Family.<p>

"Zelda...you and your games." He sighed in mild disgust, while searching his Loop memories to see if he could determine just how she had mixed their bloodlines this time. He paused when the name Gerudo wasn't at all familiar to his Unawake self. Did Hyrule forcibly induct the Gerudo and erase mention of them from history? Seemed rather too cold for the fairly pacifistic nation...

His answer came with a half-remembered genealogy lesson. He had studied the Royal Pedigree, and he could just recall the names at the very top. Queen Zelda the First... and King Groose the Awesome. Turning on his heel, Ganondorf proceeded to bang his head against the wall of the corridor. He refused to subscribe to Zelda's ridiculous idea that the Gerudo bloodline began with that incompetent buffoon, whatever her memories may claim. Unfortunately, it appeared that the Loops shared her ideas, and continued to link Groose as being the progenitor of the Gerudo. Still, he mused, as he slammed his head against the tile again, at least the land is not named Grooseland.

"Why are you striking your head against the wall, brother?"

Ganondorf paused, before turning to stare at the short blonde child standing next to him. Zelda, his younger sister, wore an innocent smile, with wide curious eyes. The Triforce told him she was Unawake. However, a number of Loops as her father had taught him that, Awake or not, that perfectly innocent face hid a devious mind.

"It is nothing. I simply discovered a few things."

She frowned cutely, tilting her head. "What sort of things?"

Ganondorf winced. Having the curse of Demise broken on him had also unfortunately lowered his resistance to cuteness. "Nothing. It is a private matter."

She blinked, and then broke into a wide smile, the kind of happy yet mischievous grin that had heralded the Great Pizza Incident, the Goron in the Tower debacle, and far too many Cuccos in his bedchamber. "So, are you going to ask her to the ball?"

Ganondorf felt a small sliver of dread as he asked the inevitable question. "Ask who?"

Zelda giggled. "Impa, silly. Now that you know she likes you, you two can get married!"

A brief rush of semi-related memories of the statuesque sheikah from his Unawake self (and a few unwanted daydreams) returned him to banging his head against the wall.

"No, brother, stop. You-you're bleeding!"

* * *

><p>Link sighed as he stared out at the horizon. He wasn't sure whether to be happy about this Loop or not. On the one hand, he was a member of the Likinas tribe, a group of Sky-Elves that seemed to have taken the place of the Gerudo. They lived on a group of floating tropical islands that hovered over the Great Desert (he had stopped pondering the fluid mechanics required after he had started to get a migraine), and, like the Gerudo, they were almost entirely beautiful females. On the other hand, he had been raised like a sonbrother/nephew to most of the women here, which made dating a rather uncomfortable subject.

*Swoorp* Link turned at the odd sound to find Ganondorf standing behind him, panting.

"There, she shouldn't be able to trace that. For now, at least." Ganondorf then looked around, before locking onto Link. "There you are, hero." Link tensed slightly, but Ganondorf waved him off. "No time for that. I just need to rest a bit, then I will be on my way."

Link raised an eyebrow, sensing some blackmail. "Why?"

Ganondorf took a deep breath. "Because, I.." His eyes narrowed as he caught himself, "...never mind." His eyes then tracked past Link's shoulder, taking in the view behind Link. "Wait, is that the...?"

Link nodded. "Yep. That is the Great Desert. My new tribe has taken the place of the Gerudo this time, which I'm guessing is why you are dressed like a Hyrulian Prince?"

Ganondorf nodded, glancing between the stream running past them and the desert beyond. "How is it...?"

Link cut him off. "Don't think about it too hard. Seriously, don't."

Ganondorf nodded, sighing, just as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Hmm, a tropical island getaway. This is certainly a nice location for a date."

Ganondorf yelped, before vanishing with the same *swoorp* sound as before, revealing Impa, clad in traditional Sheikah garb, standing behind him. Her shoulders slumped slightly, before she turned to give Link a curious look. She studied him for a moment, before shrugging and vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Link leaned back and considered the spot the two visitors had just left from. "Well, I can't wait to hear that story."

* * *

><p>20.5 (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>When he heard the cries of a Loftwing, Ganondorf didn't exactly expect this world's Link riding it and dropping onto the battlefield.<p>

"Come for your unconditional surrender?" Ganondorf asked Link, who was brushing himself off after landing.

"Threatening you, actually," Link replied, glad that, for once, Ganondorf isn't Awake this time. "Care for a drink? I'm just wondering whether or not the Dark Lord Ganondorf has anything to fear."

Ganondorf gave out an amused chuckle. "What have I to fear?" he asked him.

"The Warriors of Hyrule," Link replied, noticing the look on Ganondorf's face changing from amusement to curiosity. "Yeah, I know, unoriginal, but it wasn't my idea. It's what we call ourselves, though, and we consider ourselves a team." 'That, and the Avengers was taken already, but I'll tell you that when you're Awake.'

Ganondorf then sighed. "Indeed, we've met," was what he said.

Link then gave him a look. "I know. It took us a while to get off the ground, but let's do a headcount." He then got his gear changed. "The Queen, a part time ninja, full-time commander; a sorceress who happened to be the other half of your pawn; a master assassin bodyguard with a fondness for giant weapons; a bug collector who can use giant insects; the Princess of the Twilight Realm who isn't taking her new form too well; the Gorons' Big Brother and the Sage of Fire; the Zora Princess and the Sage of Water; a talking sword whose legs are actually quite sharp; and you, my friend...you managed to anger every single one of us."

"That was the plan," was what Ganondorf replied.

"Not a great plan, in hindsight," Link replied. "Because when they come...and they will...they're all coming for you."

Ganondorf then smirked. "I have an army," he said.

"We have the Sword of Evil's Bane," Link replied.

"And that was able to release my final soul fragment."

"You misunderstand, big guy. There's no throne. There's no version of this where you can come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect Hyrule, we can be sure we'll be able to re-take it."

* * *

><p>20.2 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>Link finished explaining his horrible Loop and let his head drop to the countertop. Zelda and Impa both patted him consolingly on the shoulders, as both of them were familiar with those dungeons that were just out to get you, and they could just imagine how frustrating an entire course of them would be. Zelda sighed and glanced down the bar to catch the barkeeps attention for another glass. This wasn't a Looper's Bar, unfortunately, but it would have to do for consoling purposes. Zelda's eyes narrowed as she took in the other two Loopers who were joining them this Loop. Both Malon and Vaati were bent over a notebook, both rapidly trading off taking notes. With a quick flick of her wrist, Zelda used a Switching Spell on a napkin, to swap it with the notepad. She ignored Malon's outraged "Hey!" as she scanned through the pad. She frowned at the variety checkboxes and fill-in-fields. This looked pre-made, almost like...<p>

"What did you two do?!" Link had apparently been reading over her shoulder and come to a similar conclusion to her. Both Malon and Vaati glanced at each other, then back at Link.

"Well, you see, it's, a, gotta go!" Malon twisted off her bar stool in a show of agility, equipping her own pair of Pegasus Boots as she went, and sped for the door. Behind her, Vaati shifted down to Picori form and stirred up a wind gust to lift him up in the rafters.

Link was already in motion before they cleared the barstools. One hand pulled out a Hookshot, snagging Malon by her leg, and then quickly yanking her back, while the chain danced around, tying her up. A bottle was thrown from the other hand, and it perfectly snagged Vaati out of the air. A thin cord was attached to the end that allowed Link to reel it back in. A few moments later, Malon and Vaati were trussed and bound, both leaning against the bar. Link held up the note-pad, which was clearly filled with after-action reports for a variety of dungeons and monsters, all filled out and describing his experience. "Explain, now."

"It was Vaati's idea."

"What?!" Vaati sputtered as Malon tossed him under the bus. "No way, if I go down, you do too."

Malon stuck out her tongue, before Link pushed the notepad back into their faces. "Explain."

Vaati spoke first this time. "Well, Zelda has all of the fun of setting up different bloodlines in the Loops and letting them become history, so, Malon had the ideaaOW!" Vaati squirmed from the kick Malon had manage to hit him with, "Fine, we had the idea to set up a Dungeon Maker College. Teach everyone how to build a better dungeon of every type. That probably became history for that Loop, as each of those dungeons hit the points on the syllabus for the given dungeon type. So, um, surprise, you get challenges...again..."

Vaati's voice trailed off as Link's eyebrow began twitching. Behind him, Zelda and Impa quickly set about evacuating the bar.

* * *

><p>20.6<p>

* * *

><p>A bead of sweat slid down Link's face as he positioned himself. This would test his speed, skill, and precision to the utmost limit. He only had one chance to get this right.<p>

His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, held out and slightly lowered to his side. The blade gleamed as his energy flowed through it in preparation for his technique. Then, he moved.

Stepping forward, he pivoted on his heel, sending his body into a tight spin, even as he lowered his center of gravity and swung out and down with his blade. The gathered energy was unleashed in a tightly woven, sweeping edge, which lengthened his cutting spiral out across the terrain around him.

"HIYAHH!"

With expert precision, he ended his Spin Attack and sheathed his word in a single motion. It was a perfect execution. Smiling lightly, Link strode across the grass and up the steps into his house.

Next door, a larger man stared blankly, water dribbling out of the hose he was holding, at the perfectly trimmed lawn that his neighbor had just cut using a sword.

* * *

><p>Navi darted forward, swinging Titania in a tight arc. The barest breeze rippled out as she cut through the obstacle ahead of her, then, circling her target, she sliced into the next obstacle. Around and around she went, blade flashing as she slashed there, sliced here, constantly cutting, and ever moving. A graceful dance of the blade.<p>

Circling lower, she encountered a bit more resistance, but in the end, she cut her way past, looping around and back, then shot upward, stabbing her sword in the air in triumph.

"Done!"

Rubeus Hagrid turned to look in the mirror, beetle-black eyes widening as he took in his neatly trimmed beard and somewhat styled hair.

"Wow, Miss Navi. Yeh do good work. I reck'n Olympe'll be pleas'd ter see this."

Navi giggled. "No problem, Hagrid. Good luck!"

* * *

><p>Link's leg lashed out, knocking the heavy wooden table flying into the air. Pivoting, he took a step, then leaped up and over the table. His eyes locked onto his target, hanging in midair tauntingly. With a grin, Link pulled back his arm. Light began to pour out of his blade, flaring out to fill the room with light.<p>

"HOOWAH!"

His blade lashed forward, a Sword Beam ripping out to cut the air apart, slamming into the far wall and leaving a large slash. With a tremendous crash, the Gryffindor Table crashed back to earth, Link landing atop it. He reached out his arm and caught his target as it fell, before hopping backwards to settle on the bench beside the table. Calmly, he set the two smoldering halves of the walnut shell aside and popped the inner meat into his mouth with a grin.

* * *

><p>Navi stood up and drew her blade. It wasn't Titania, given her currently human form, but it was close enough in shape and would do for what she needed to accomplish. She swept it out and to the side, a gust of wind following the sword as it ripped through the air. However, before the wind could fly off and dissipate, she swung her blade through the space in front of her again, cutting the wind blade apart and forming another. Back and forth, up and down, faster and faster, her blade ripped through the air in front of her, building up a whirl of air blades and gusts.<p>

With a quick jab, the wind shot forward in a wild cone, sending papers and debris flying. Navi's eye tracked a specific piece of parchment, her blade lashing out to twist the whirlwind. The piece of paper spun around the horizontal tornado, flipping end over end.

'Now!'

Navi's eyes gleamed as she swept her blade in a powerful slash, cutting apart the tornado. Three more slashes sent out wind blades that sped past the paper, never cutting it, but sending it tumbling through the air, to land perfectly in the middle of the desk at the head of the room.

Behind the desk, Professor McGonagall sat with wide eyes, a magical barrier crackling from the tip of her wand. Navi smiled, bowed quickly to her, and left the room.

* * *

><p>"And the winner of 'Most Mundane Use for an Overblown Sword Skill' is... Navi, with 'Turn in a piece of homework'!"<p>

Ron, Zelda, and Dumbledore broke into applause as Navi, back in fairy form at the moment, spun about in the air and bowed, before grabbing the medal out of Harry's hands.

"Thank you, thank you."

Off to the side, Link pouted slightly. "I still say the nut cracking was more impressive."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, but kicking a table in the air isn't exactly a sword skill, and that is the main thing that made that so impressive."

Link nodded, sighing. "I know." Then, grinning, he turned to Navi. "Congratulations, partner. You earned it."

Navi giggled, nodding.

* * *

><p>20.7 (Conceptualist)<p>

* * *

><p>Link was having an awesome day.<p>

Navi woke Link up to take him to the Great Deku Tree as usual for this type of baseline, right before they both Awoke. A Wooden Sword and Deku Shield from his Subspace Pocket got him past Mido, but it turned out to be unnecessary to save the Great Deku Tree, because the Death Curse had lifted on it's own and the Great Deku Tree was recovering fine on his own. A quick trip to the palace found the reason why.

It turned out both Ganondorf and Zelda were Awake as well. Zelda had apparently struck some kind of deal with Ganondorf. While Link was not aware of the details, he was aware of the results. Ganondorf was taking the loop off, Zelda was now in charge of all of Ganondorf's Minions and Resources, and new Dungeons were scheduled to be built all over the place. Zelda had assured Link that there would be nothing impossibly difficult like the last time other Loopers went Hard-Mode Dungeon Happy, but instead the difficulty level would be "comfortably challenging." More importantly, they were going to be damn fun to play around in.

Link wasn't sure why Zelda was going around making new dungeons, but as long as he was allowed play around in them, Link didn't care.

Especially with seven years to do so in. Since there was no need to get the Master Sword to defeat Ganondorf, there was no getting sealed way till Link was older. So he was actually going to get to live the full span of seven years this loop had to offer, instead of bouncing back and forth from the beginning to the end and back.

A measly seven year vacation was nothing compared to the amount of time a Looper could remember, but it was still nice to live in the moment.

As the sun set on the first day of the rest of the Loop, Link smiled. This loop is going to be fun!

* * *

><p>20.8 (Archeo Lumiere)<p>

* * *

><p>This, this was going to be a fun trick.<p>

"This is a stupid idea, Link, you don't know what you're doing." chimed Navi in the background.

"Hush, I know exactly what I'm doing," was Link's response. In his hands were a pair of portal guns, one modified to shoot bolts, and on his feet were a pair of longfall boots. He had set this up well in advance, getting just the right surfaces for this prank. At the moment, he was standing in a rather quaint house, whose floors were made of a seamless white tile. In the center of the room was a cucco in a cage. To start, there was a pair of portals on the floor, one red, the other purple. Link jumped into the red portal, leading to an orange one set up in his house. Taking aim, he shot the aforementioned cucco, and promptly closed the red orange pair. Moments later, a cry of rage rang through Hyrule. Operation Cucco Storm (Mk. Ganon) was a success.

* * *

><p>20.9<p>

* * *

><p>"How does this even work?"<p>

Link paused after peeling himself off of the wall (It still felt weird to him, he didn't know how Mario could stand to spend every seventh Loop or so as two dimensional paper), then turned to Navi, who had similarly peeled herself off the wall. Apparently, Hylians this Loop all had fairy companions. Fi was acting as Zelda's, and both of them were Awake, so they had short-circuited Yuga's plans by wishing on the Triforce early to restore Lorule's Triforce. Link was almost certain he had heard a faint cry of "Kage Bunshin!" when it had happened, but he hadn't pondered on it too deeply.

"How does what work?"

"Travelling to Lorule. I mean, you said that Hilda or whatever is the Anchor, but it's just a mirror version of us, right? Does it even count as a different Loop?"

Link shrugged. "From what I gathered from Epona's explanation, it has to do with the Triforce not having 'jurisdiction' or something in Lorule, due to the nature of the dimensional rift between them. I still don't really get it, because the Triforce can grant wishes that affect Lorule and everything, but I think that is limited to the times when the cracks are open. Anyway, apparently, Lorule itself was breaking down whenever she tried to use our Triforce as an Anchor, and she was getting a weird 'Merge' error when she tried to use Lorule's. So, she slotted in Hilda to Anchor Lorule, and everything's golden."

Navi flittered around irritably. "Yeah, I got that much, but how is it we can just pop between them? I mean, shouldn't that cause issues with you being a Pseudo-Anchor or whatever? And didn't Hilda come visit when you held that last kart race without me?"

Link rolled his eyes at the irritation Navi put into the last two words. "It's not like I control when you are Awake or not. Anyway, to use the whole tree analogy, I guess we are like a branch that technically split, one bit becoming Hyrule and the other becoming Lorule, while the branches actually sort of grew back together. At different points in time, the Branches are able to be crossed between, and while that given Loop is running, both Loops are treated like a single Loop."

Navi bobbed up and down silently, as the two of them passed along the edge one of the canyons that divided Lorule. "...Ok, I guess I can see that. But does Lorule even have Loops when they aren't merged with us?"

Link winced. "Yeah, actually, and most of them are almost flipped versions of ours. Except their Zoras are Cucco-people, and act like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. Though, remind me to show you pictures of when I took Ravio's place in their Great Sky Loop. Apparently, Lorule explodes and it causes the whole place to turn into a bunch of floating islands. Yuga shows up to try and crash them together, though he is never exactly clear on why he is doing that. Regardless, there are some amazing views from those islands, I took tons of pictures."

Navi hummed. "Ok. So, I guess I can understand that. Still, it just seems weird for them to WHAT IS THAT!?"

Link jumped at Navi's shout, and glanced across the chasm. "Wha, oh, that's Ravio. Haven't you met him? Maybe not when he is in bunny mode, but yeah, that's..."

"Not him. The thing next to him."

Link blinked, then squinted. "Huh, that's...wait, the nose and...oh boy."

Ravio had apparently spotted them, and he quickly pulled out a golden disc from his Pocket and jumped on, which the small green gnome next to him doing the same. As they got closer, Link saw that his initial impression was correct.

"Hallo Link! How are you?!"

Link grinned at Ravio. "Pretty good. Who's your friend?"

Ravio looked behind him. "Oh, this is David, my Tingle for the Loop." Standing on the golden disc beside Ravio was a short bearded man with Tingle's face. It was...somewhat disturbing.

* * *

><p>20.1 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>Link searched over Hyrule Field, worried because Volvagia was most definitely not where Link had seen him last. Had Ganon already gotten him? Was he still too late?<p>

"Link!" a happy voice chirped out.

Link spun about and saw the baby dragon coming towards him happily twittering his name. Link could only smile in response.

* * *

><p>20.10 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>Legend of Zelda, Looper Conference Side Story, Conclusion<p>

* * *

><p>Grim faces greeted Link as he stepped into the Termina Alliance halls. No one said a word until Link had taken a seat at the rounded table. Impa had rejoined the group, taking her seat once again next to Zelda. The princess shook her head, "Sakura's presence complicates this loop. I encountered her in our baseline, dissecting Ganondorf to study Demise's curse. Eventually, she crashed the loop when she tried taking apart the Triforce of Power."<p>

Vaati flicked his hair, "I have met less troublesome versions of Link in our universe than Sakura. During a loop where I descended from the Minish, she laid siege to my fortress. After effortlessly taking apart my castle, she ended up punching me to the moon when I tried fighting back, but not before stealing my magic cap. I fear what she did with it."

Ganondorf was shaking slightly, but refused to comment. Link kind of understood after having been taken apart atop Wall Rose. After relating his story, which caused the gathered loopers to shake their head, it was Impa's turn, "I have not encountered Sakura personally. However, I have talked to many loopers in my travels, preparing for any dangers my Lady may encounter. Have you encountered loopers by the name, Kyuubey or Dio?"

There were a number of shaking heads. The assassin continued, "A few loopers have encountered these beings. They are starting to be called Malicious Looping Entities, or MLEs for short. They are active threats to the multiverse in that they will ascend if given the chance. However, Sakura is considered far more dangerous than those two. Not because she'll ascend, but because she cares little for loopers and less so for non-loopers, and because of her experience. Rumors are that she put her own sensei into a coma during his first loop."

Zelda folded her hands together, "I can confirm that. I talked to Kakashi once. He is recovering, but that doesn't help us now. How should we handle Sakura?"

Many ideas were passed around, most involving some form of combat. They were all shot down as, according to Zelda, 'we should seek a peaceful resolution to this. Only if one of our numbers are threatened directly by Sakura, then we may act accordingly.'

More ideas flowed after this, diplomatic ones this time. Link grew bored of this, and send a telepathic call to Malon. Perhaps she had some more interesting ideas. His call rang over and over, until finally it cut off. Link blinked, and sent another call. Again, nothing. Link arose from his seat, causing the debate to abide for a second, "Malon is not picking up. Excuse me, I must check on her."

Zelda tipped her head, "Keep us updated."

* * *

><p>The Hyrule hero was no fool. After scaling a nearby tree, he pulled out a pair of Binoculars. Nothing too out of the ordinary. No gathered bandits, no Sakura, not that no Sakura meant anything,<p>

_More rock crumbled under them as another Titan ejected itself from the wall. As he fell, his feet found purchase on a slab of rubble even as he fell. Combined with a burst of magic, he launched himself at Sakura, his blade taking on a purple sheen. His mind calling out the attack, 'Tsubami Gaishi' as space warped, his attack turning into a three pronged slash, leaving her no openings for escape. But she vanished all the same as the attacks merged, like she was nothing but an illusion. However, she was no illusion. Already having fallen for her illusions once in the battle, he wore the lens of truth on one eye, and Sakura had been there only a moment before. _

_"That was dangerous," a voice behind him echoed. His feet found purchase again as he launched himself into the air, above Sakura's punch. He flipped himself backwards until he was facing Sakura upside-down, only for the lens of truth to reveal the Sakura he sensed was an illusion, the real Sakura's fist now only an inch above his face._

_The strike was conclusive, as it sent him into the wall and embedding him in it, his blade clattering away. His body felt like a sack of marbles, so many bones had been broken. Sakura landed atop one of the wall remains. Her fist slammed through the structure and ripped Link's body out. Blood oozed from countless wounds. Sakura, meanwhile, just smiled at him, that humorless grin that would haunt his nightmares. However this time, there was something else, respect, "Must say, it's been awhile since someone forced me to fight seriously, if only for an instant. For that..." _

_She pulled out a staff and started chanting a couple lines from the Fay language. His body glowed for a second as the pain ceased. Sakura held the staff behind her head and looked at the injured looper, "I have taken away the pain. The healing spell in an of itself will kick in after I am out of range. Improve yourself, and fight me again someday. I look forward to it."_

_Link glared at her. His jaw was unbroken and his lungs were in good enough condition that he could speak, if only in a hoarse tone, "Next time, I will end you."_

_Sakura closed her eyes as she faded, as if the wind took her away._

His musings ended abruptly as something gripped the back of his neck. The voice, he recognized, "Oh? Has another bandit showed up to take away my newest friend?"

She turned him around, and sure enough it was Sakura, her humorless grin ever present on his face. She faked surprise, "My, no it is not. Just her protector. Tell me, did you know Malon was being followed by those thieves earlier?"

She dropped him on the branch and shrugged at him, "No matter. I have taken care of the problem for you. Those thieves won't ever bother you again."

He rubbed his throat, "I told you to leave us be."

Sakura shrugged, "And I told you I wouldn't cause trouble...if you don't start it."

She wanted trouble. It was written all over her face in her calculating gleam. His hand clenched, then relaxed. He would not start the trouble, he mantraed to himself quietly. Sakura, however continued, "After I showed Malon the thief then fed him another round of Veritaserum, she was grateful for the assistance. The girl let me in, almost with open arms. I decided to show her a few things I learned."

Her eyes turned wicked with that last sentence. The threat was there. His hand gripped the sword unconsciously. Sakura raised her eyebrow, "Are you threatening me, master swordsman. You cannot beat me. I thought you'd have learned that lesson atop Wall Rose. You're ally, Ganondorf, can attest that it is hopeless. The things I did to him-"

Already leaping back, Link's sword cut through air, just barely missing Sakura even as her face turned triumphant. Link's eyes widened in surprise at his own actions, but recovered as he used a prana burst to circle to her side, his sword edge turning purple. Sakura made to escape using the same method as before, chipping the blade and escaping via the one opening created in the unbeatable technique, until she saw Link's grin. Her eyes widened as, in addition to the original 3 attacks, six more appeared further around them, closing in on Sakura's position.

If that's the case, thought Sakura, as she channeled chakra to her fist, slamming it into the purple blade, shattering it into a thousand pieces. But the nine strikes did not stop approaching. She tried teleporting to the nearby Hirashin kunai, only for the technique to fail as she disappeared and reappeared in the same spot. Her eyes had just enough time to notice the second Master Sword in Link's hand as the nine strikes converged, cutting her to ribbons.

Link stood over Sakura's remains as he slashed his sword twice through the air, twirled it overhead, and slid it into its scabbard. His hand, however, didn't leave the hilt. Several seconds passed before a chuckle echoed through the woods, "Did you really think it would be that easy?"

Sakura's remains exploded into smoke as Link gave a small smirk of his own, "No...but for an instant, I really thought it might."

His other hand tapped his menu as he sent the message to Zelda, _I might have started a fight with Sakura._

He could almost feel Zelda's anger as no reply came for a minute. However, her voice finally came through, with barely repressed frustration, _We're on our way._

* * *

><p>20.X - And thus, Hyrule Warriors enters the Loops. Loopers will be able to travel through time within the Loop, which should lead to some interesting shenanigans.<p>

20.1 - My Little Volvagia, You'll Always Be My Best Friend.

20.2 - Link and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Loop

20.3 - Ganondorf's first Loop as Groose, back when he was still bad to the bone.

20.4 - Link is still kicking himself that he didn't get pictures of Ganondorf and Impa's dates.

20.5 - Yeah, Link is totally stealing the speech. Still, it rather fits.

20.6 - Guess who the neighbor in the beginning is.

20.7 - Link and the Awesome, Respectable, Not Bad, Much Better Loop

20.8 - This Loop occurred during a breakdown of the Kakariko Accords.

20.9 - Lorule is an interesting place, being a mirror of Hyrule. We will see if more Loops show up from over there.

20.10 - Sakura is a dangerous opponent, though she is getting better in recent Loops.


	21. Chapter 21

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS: New Loopers, New Worries**

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Link...err...Zelda. Yeah, that one.

* * *

><p>21.1 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi simply stood slack jawed as her Picori instructor calmly dusted his hands off and walked back inside, leaving behind a pile of ash that had once been a cucco. "Th... those things are MORTAL!?"<p>

Librari nodded sagely. "Indeed. Such is the power held inside this pouch." he replied, patting the tiny bag tied to his belt. "In my travels, I have learned many things, but the thing that has come in handy the most often is this. The more useless a magic object seems, and the harder it is to get, the more powerful it tends to be. This Magic Powder seems to be no more than a bag of dust, and can only be obtained in a world within a dream. It is the only thing I have ever encountered able to destroy a cucco with a single shot."

He then grinned, looking up at Navi as he passed her on his way inside. "And let me tell you. It took quite a few attempts to figure out how to bring it with me. I must have died a dozen times before I figured it out."

Navi froze stiff as he entered his house with a chuckle, attempting to process his words.

"... You're LOOPING!?"

"Should I not be?"

* * *

><p>21.2 (Stonebrow)<p>

* * *

><p>Link sat at the table, ignoring the nearby chess game. Sipping his drink, he turned to his taciturn companion. "It's a sword made out of lasers, right? Why can't it shoot?"<p>

Obi Wan was taken aback. "What?"

"The light saber. Not a bad sword, but no long distance capabilities."

"Not a bad swo- … It is the epitome of millennia of warfare! We don't need to 'shoot' with them, we bounce incoming fire back at our opponents!"

Link nodded, "Well that's fine if everyone uses lasers, but what if you've got 30 guys with bows and arrows shooting at you? Light saber can't bounce arrows back, can it? Anyway, Mirror Shield is more practical at reflecting attacks. Bigger surface area."

"Can your sword melt through metal?" Obi Wan asked, looking at the green-clad warrior's metal blade, strapped to the youth's back.

"Well, no. I'd generally use one or more bombs in that situation. I'm not saying my sword is better, per se, I'm just saying that the ability to launch projectiles out the end is really useful if you have to hit a guy a dozen yards away. Or if you want to chop a bush up without going out of your way."

"… I don't even know what to say to that."

* * *

><p>21.3 (Drakohahn)<p>

* * *

><p>Link had a feeling in the back of his mind that something strange was about to happen. He knew Ganondorf was Awake, but not much has changed from the baseline. Clearing that thought with a shake of his head, the green-clad swordsman opened the door into the grand cathedral where Ganondorf was playing the pipe organ as normal. Also as normal, when Link got closer, the evil overlord of the Gerudo stopped and turned to face him.<p>

"So, you're finally here, oh mighty hero. You have beaten me many times before." Then he grinned evilly, "However, that was as the King of Thieves and Ruler of Darkness! How will you defeat..."

The roof over their heads opened up to reveal a giant disco ball slowly descending overhead and the floor turned into tiles of rapidly flashing lights. Suddenly, in that change of lighting, Ganondorf was no longer wearing his usual outfit. Instead, his red hair was puffed up in an afro and he was wearing a disco suit.

"The King of the Dance Floor!"

Link just stood there in horrified silence.

* * *

><p>21.4 (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>"This is an odd flower..." Link mused as he examined the bright flame-colored flora with the beady little eyes. Seeing no immediate reason not to, Link bent over to pluck it.<p>

The flower immediately flared and vanished, leaving Link with a rushing feeling of warmth and power. He noted that his green tunic had turned white and his brown boots, gloves, and belt had become red. Flexing his left hand experimentally yielded a fist-sized ball of flame that only felt slightly warm to the touch. A moment later and Link was tossing the ball of fire from one hand to the other, a grin beginning to split his face as he did.

Oh, yes. He was going to have fun with this.

* * *

><p>21.5<p>

* * *

><p>Midna sighed and stretched as she Awoke, before grinning. She was an adult! Well, technically, she was always an adult, but at the moment, she actually looked like it. One of the most unfortunate part of the Loops for Midna was that she was so often stuck in the imp form she had been cursed with when she first went out to save the world with Link. It was useful at times, especially because a lot of people would underestimate her, making it easier to take them out if necessary, but it was still annoying how people were so often patronizing to her, just because she looked like a child.<p>

Midna ran her hands across her arms as her hair went through a few complicated motions. She was happy to see that despite her apparently being human this loop, give her pale skin and round ears, her hair was still under her control. After checking that she could still access her Pocket and use some of the abilities she had picked up throughout her life, she turned towards sorting out her memories to figure out what her position was this Loop.

It was at that point that the door behind her blew off its hinges, and Lord Voldemort stepped into the nursery Midna was currently standing in.

* * *

><p>About half an hour later, Midna finally got the last bits of Dark Lord out of her hair. The number of pieces he had been cut into might have been overkill, but if he hadn't wanted to die, he shouldn't have snuck up on her. Midna conveniently ignored the fact that her Unawake self had been running from Voldemort, so he couldn't technically be said to have been sneaking, but she stood by her principles, dammit.<p>

Setting fire to the hair brush that she had just finished using, she exited the small bathroom of the cottage. Currently, she, Sirius Black, and her...child, were the only living beings in the house. A massive man named Hagrid had shown up to check on them, saying something about taking Harry to Dumbledore, but after seeing Lily glaring at him with bits of Voldemort still trapped in her hair, he had said a few condolences and beat a hasty retreat. Sirius was currently in the master bedroom, still mourning James. He didn't have much choice, as Midna had had to stick him to the wall with a permanent sticking charm to keep him from running after Wormtail, who her memories told her was the one who had been guarding the secret of where she and her family had been hiding. Midna hadn't ever really read the books, but they had been mentioned by several of the other Loopers, and she knew that Sirius ran off to prison or something, so she was going to keep an eye on him until she sorted out what to do from here.

She stepped quietly into the nursery, and looked down at the sleeping form of Harry Potter. She had sent out a ping right after taking out the Dark Lord, and she hadn't gotten back a response, so she figured that Harry either wasn't Awake yet, or there was a Stealth Anchor running around. Still, from what Zelda had told her about this particular Loop, she should have a good sixteen to seventeen years, at least, before the Loop ended. Privately, she somewhat hoped that Harry Awoke soon, as she didn't want to face the pain of raising him, only to see him vanish when the Loop ended. Similarly, she was both saddened that James Potter was dead, as well as relieved. No matter that in this life, she was the woman he had married, it would still feel too much like she was stealing another woman's husband.

She ran a hand across Harry's smooth forehead, before pulling away and heading out the door to go try to talk some sense into Sirius, and think of a way of getting him down off the wall in one piece. Whatever happens, she would do what she always did.

Win.

* * *

><p>Harry groaned softly as he Awoke to the sound of knocking.<p>

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up, Petunia." He mumbled as he sat upright. Blinking sleep from his eyes, he reached up with his hand, waving fingertips through the area where a low ceiling should have been. He reached over to a carved nightstand, and pulled on a pair of glasses that were obviously the right prescription for him, and took in a rather handsomely lived-in room.

His first thought was along the lines of 'Sweet, no Dursleys'. His second thought, after taking in the variety of decorations and pictures on the wall, was 'Sweet, a variant I've never been in before!'. Even if the only difference turned out to be that his unawake self loved the light teal color that the walls were painted, novel experiences were the most valuable thing a Looper could have, especially one as experienced as Harry. His third thought was to send out a ping, which was answered by the door opening, and a voice both familiar and strange saying, "Oh, good, you're finally Awake."

* * *

><p>Midna smiled softly as she watched the Hogwarts Express pull away from the station. Harry had Awoken just over a year ago, and it was somewhat bittersweet, both his Awakening, and him leaving on the train.<p>

Despite her (admittedly halfhearted) efforts to keep some emotional distance, she had gotten attached to Harry, having him run around and call her 'Mum'. Harry the Anchor had still called her 'Mum', and still acted like a little kid, but she got the feeling that it was more him humoring her than any actual level of true affection. Still, they had developed a new dynamic, and Harry admitted that it was very nice to actually have a Loop where he could be 'Just Harry', given how rare such opportunities were.

Midna rolled her eyes as she headed towards the Floo, calmly ignoring the whispers of "There she is" and "the Crimson Banshee" and "Do you think his nose is still in her hair?". The only fame Harry had to deal with now was the fame that came with being the only son of the Mad Muggleborn, the Witch Who Won, the Crimson Banshee, etc. Apparently, the Wizarding World couldn't settle on a single name for her, something Harry found very amusing. He had helped her ensure Voldemort was really gone right after Awakening, and they were planning to spend the rest of the Loop just living a normal life. Something Midna could really appreciate.

Now if only the marriage proposals would stop...

* * *

><p>21.6 (Archeo Lumiere)<p>

* * *

><p>Footfall Perception<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke while he was still asleep, a novel feeling, one which awoke Link in the mundane sense of the word. As he analyzed his surroundings, he also was analyzing his loop memories, surprised that, despite being the Ocarina of Time time period, he did not have his usual outfit on yet, instead, he had on an outfit similar to his initial Great Sea outfit, but the pants were darker, the shirt was white with green rather than blue with white, and the lobster was replaced with the Kokiri Emerald. His memories confirmed this as the typical outfit of the Kokiri, save for the bottom variance among individuals. Link sent out a Ping, only for it to fail. <em>It seems that out of loop powers are restricted. How about the Pocket?<em> At this, Link tried to take one of his Boomerangs out, only for that to fail too. Lastly, he took the journal in the room and put it first into his in loop pocket and took it out, and then his Subspace Pocket. When he put it into his Subspace Pocket, he could not remove it. _So baseline powers only, Pocket's in but not out, interesting._

The upside to being Awoken when asleep is that baseline awakenings don't happen. Link had been long awake when Navi flew in the door, so he saved himself a tumble out of bed. Taking this as his cue to start his adventure, he left his house and went straight to the boulder chamber, got the Kokiri Sword, and got to cutting enough grass to afford a Deku Shield. Having bypassed Mido, he ran along to the Great Deku Tree.

* * *

><p>Upon entering the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, Navi shouted "Great Deku Tree... I'm back!" This was the signal marking an initial conversation with the Tree, one from baseline. However, after Link agreed to take upon himself the quest, the Tree said something new.<p>

"Indeed, thou hath the courage, and the wisdom, but thou hath not the awareness needed to defeat the creatures within. The monsters that inhabit my inside, as well as this world, will take any opportunity to sneak up on you. You have not yet experienced this, seeing how the monsters inhabiting the path here are stationary, but thou must perceive all that is around you." At this, a chest fell down from the Great Deku Trees's limbs. "Inside this chest are Sacred Garments infused with some of my power, take them to a nook present in the east side of my visage, and change into them." he concluded.

Link took the chest itself to the nook, seeing how it was small enough, and opened it there. Inside was an outfit very similar to the one he usually wore, a green tunic and hat. Surprisingly, it did not contain boots. Shrugging at this, Link changed into the outfit, leaving on the shoes that he had been wearing. Upon return to the Tree's front, the Great Deku Tree spoke again.

"Good, the Sacred Garments fit you well, although it seems that I had forgotten to mention their caveat,"

_Here comes the curve ball..._

"just as I am rooted in the earth to grow, so must you be connected to the earth to truly receive the abilities presented by the Sacred Garments. One must be connected to the ground upon which they walk."

_and there it is, the loop is keeping me barefoot. Well, I can deal with that._

"So please, remove thine foot coverings, and experience the sensation of true awareness." the Great Deku Tree prompted.

Link did as he was asked, sitting on a root and taking off the shoes that he had started the loop wearing. When he dropped down from the root, his mind was flooded with sensation, with information that his mind had no way of easily processing, but the clothes he wore were embedded with magic that translated the vibrations into thought patterns, and mental maps. He felt what the village looked like, where the boulder was in the grove that he found the Kokiri Sword, and exactly what the inside of the Great Deku Tree looked like, down to the last detail. He even felt the wing beats of the birds in the sky, allowing him to estimate their position in the sky. It was breath taking.

"Now dost thou see what I mean? These garments will connect you to the very foundation of our world. Now go, and defeat the evil that resides within me." At this, the Great Deku Tree opened his mouth, flooding Link's mind with even more detailed sensations of what lay beyond. He entered, knowing that nothing this loop would catch him off guard.

* * *

><p>21.7 (Zap Rowsdower)<p>

* * *

><p>"IT IS DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE TAKE THIS," exclaimed a suspiciously Librari-like human, giving Link a rubber chicken, which strangely had a hub-loop "Spencer's Gifts" tag still on it.<p>

Link stared at the tag for a moment.

"Er, old man... are you... Librari? And looping?"

"EASTMOST PENINSULA IS THE SECRET."

Link sighed. Loop restriction or not, might as well play along.

"Say the dodongo thing twice if I'm right.

"DODONGO DISLIKE SMOKE. DODONGO DISLIKE SMOKE."

After saying that, Librari paused a moment, and took out a quill and notepad, scrawled something out, then handed it to Link.

"So, you've been Looping for a while, huh? That was you looping as Rauru that replaced all my tunics with pink ones while I was sleeping last Ocarina of Time loop!"

Librari nodded and smirked, then handed Link another note. "LETS PLAY MONEY MAKING GAME."

"A hundred rupees on if I can tell it's you or not next time you're Awake? You're on!"

* * *

><p>21.8<p>

* * *

><p>Link sneezed as he pulled himself through the dusty secret passageway. Zelda hadn't met him to go to the Picori festival, and he was worried that Vaati had gotten to her early. Vaati wasn't Awake (or at least, he hadn't answered Link's ping), but variants were, as ever, still a thing. Though, as the Triforce told him that Zelda was Awake, he doubted that any variant of Vaati could beat her for long.<p>

Link ducked past a pair of patrolling guards, and knocked softly on the door to Zelda's Room. After a few moments, in which he wondered if he had the wrong room (it oddly didn't change too much between Loops, unless the entire castle changed), Zelda opened the door, sniffling.

Link immediately stepped in, putting his hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

Zelda shook her head, turning away and walking back to her bed. Link followed, and sat down next to her. The two of them sat side by side for several moments, before Zelda whispered, softly.

Link cocked his head. "What was that?"

"...I'm a parasite."

For a brief moment, Link thought of the Go'auld he had encountered a couple dozen Loops ago, before shaking it off. At this distance, he could feel Zelda through the telepathic bond that they sometimes shared. She was terribly upset, but certainly herself.

"What? Why...you're not a parasite."

"Yes I am!" Zelda stood up, sorrow giving way to anger and she spun to face him. "I...I don't know who I am! Right now, I'm Zelda, daughter of King Daltus, descendant of King Gustav. Or at least I'm wearing her face. But I've been the daughter to Dorosean Harkonia Hyrule, sworn brother of the Gorons; of his great-great-grandson, Magorian Lenatius Hyrule; of the sea-captain Leonidus, captain of the Pursuer's Error; of any number of Kings, Sailors, Knights, and Sages. Each time, I will step in and steal the life of their daughter, wearing her face, calling them father..." Her anger died down, sadness creeping in again. "I have no true family, no true..."

Link stepped up and embraced her. "And do you think the same about me? Who now wears the face of Link, grandson of Smith? Who has worn the face of the brother of Aryll, of the nephew of Alfon? Do you think that I too am a parasite?"

Zelda hugged him back, before slowly shaking her head into his arm. Together, the two of them sat down again.

"What brought this on?" Link kept one arm around her as she sat, clenching her dress in her fists.

"My last life, I...I awoke shortly before Zant broke free and plunged the world into Twilight. Immediately, I felt a barrier, between me and my...her memories. Zelda, the real Zelda, hadn't fused with me." Zelda turned to look up at Link. "She screamed. For hours, especially when Zant took over while I was distracted by her. She was convinced I was some sort of possessing spirit. Even when I showed her my memories..."

"I stole her body. She was completely disconnected from it, from the Triforce. All that she was, all of her life, her memories, was just a helpless passenger..."

Zelda looked down, tears streaking down her cheeks. "How many times? How many times have a killed some defenseless girl, settling into her place like some faceless shadow?"

"None."

Zelda snapped up to look at him, her mouth opened, eyes enraged, before he covered her mouth with his hand.

"No, listen. I've thought the same thing as you before, my second, no, third time on the Great Sea. I was talking with Aryll, and I thought 'This is not my sister. Her brother vanished the moment I appeared.' I looked at her, and I just started to cry." He dropped his hand, and Zelda stayed quiet, watching him intently. "I told her everything. I don't know that she fully understood, but I do know what she told me back."

Link looked Zelda in the eyes. "'You walk around like my brother. You talk like my brother. You smile like my brother.' And then she hugged me, and I hugged her back by instinct. 'And you give hugs like my brother. Silly Link, you are my brother, just with more of you.' I'm still not sure what to think, but I do know that I live like all of my other selves, my incarnations, whatever you call them, would want to live. When you took the Twilight Zelda's place, did you do anything that she wouldn't?"

"Well...no. I tried to do what I could to defeat Zant and Ganondorf. But..."

"And in your other lives, do you do things that your other selves wouldn't do?"

"Yes!" She stomped her foot, glaring at him. "Yes, I do. When I'm Tetra, and I give up being a pirate to help build up a New Hyrule. Or when I'm on Skyloft, and I start planning Hyrule's future rather than going flying or spending time with that Link. I do things for me, selfishly using their lives..."

"And what would they say in your place? Tetra would tell you to chart your own course, and to blow any obstacles out of your way. The Zelda of Skyloft would tell you to do what makes your heart soar, what makes you feel happy. Yes, you may not do what an individual Zelda in your place would do, but you honor them all. You build up Hyrule, make it prosper, while at the same time, being happy yourself." Link grabbed her left hand with his, causing both of their Triforce marks to shimmer. "You are your own individual. I am still not sure what to think of these Loops, and I can't tell you how to react to living someone else's life, except to tell you what I do. Live in honor of them, of the person they are, and of the person you are. You are not some shadow, some parasite formed of their echoes. You are Zelda, the Looping Princess of Hyrule. Uniquely, and individually, you."

Zelda was silent, before reaching out and embracing Link again.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>21.9 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>It really was a lot harder than it looked. The time between Waking Up and having your in-loop memories settle in was a lot like a really good stretching of your back after sitting in one place for too long, if she had to choose an analogy. A great sense of relief and loss of tension and fatigue, followed immediately after by a lightheaded feeling and total memory loss of what you were doing, or even thinking, mere seconds ago.<p>

So it was understandable that even with the Triforce of Wisdom, using complex memory magic in that narrow time frame for her desired results had Zelda on her eighth or ninth attempt... that she could remember anyway. Memory magic and all that.

Link had said it hadn't been needed, but her lives had started blending together in her mind long ago, and even she slipped up sometimes. And she could tell each time that she did, that others had caught it. Her tutors giving her strange looks as she referenced events yet to come in her history lessons, her father's solemn concern as she acted far too mature for her age, her subject's awkward glances as she took just a touch too long sifting through her memories for context on issues brought up as she held court... Some loops she had even caught wind of rumors that bearing the Triforce of Wisdom caused ones mental prowess to burn out from overuse at a young age.

No. She owed it to her family, her subjects, and her entire kingdom to do this. A kingdom without faith in their leader easily fell. And so, once more, she cast her spell the moment she registered that she had Awakened. Using her Triforce as a filter of sorts, she poured everything that she was into it. Memories, magic, knowledge, experience. Everything was copied.

And then, once her loop memories had settled in, she let it all come flooding back.

In theory, this would create an 'echo' of sorts in her looping memories, giving them a slightly otherworldly quality. Her in loop memories, clearer with no such echo in them, would therefore be dominant. Instead of her existing self merging with her, she would in effect be merging with her existing self, her looping memories clearly there, but not in such a way that would overpower her.

And, once again, she failed.

But progress had been made. A very faint line in her mind's eye. Just barely, she now had a 'bookmark', for lack of a better term, in her memories, marking where she ended, and 'she' began.

Yes. It was progress.

And for now, progress she could live with.

* * *

><p>21.10 (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf was a little surprised as Link told him about his first experience in the Mario Kart Circuit.<p>

"Let me get this straight," he said, outside Lon Lon Ranch as he found Link brushing Epona. "You've got a motorcycle that resembles one of the horses and has the Master Sword and Hylian Shield."

"That's right," Link replied.

"And you decided, when you're in a modern setting, to use THAT instead of Epona." Link nodded. "While deciding to ride Epona in the eras necessary for horse-back." Again, Link nodded. "I understand your reasoning, but can I ask you something?"

Link nodded, knowing Ganondorf.

"You think you can get me a motorcycle in case we're BOTH our usual roles in a Modern setting? I may have been raised around horses, but after seeing this, I can't help but think that I could use a little hobby on the side."

"I'll see what I can do," Link said. "Heck, there's a branch of loops that can use card games on motorcycles. If you can run into the Anchor of that branch, you can ask him for jousting adjustments."

* * *

><p>21.11<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda's Grand Adventure, Part 6<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda moaned as a rhythmic thumping drew her into wakefulness. Her eyes felt crusty, and when she peeked them open, the light around her seemed to swim, amplifying the headache she was experiencing. Twisting, she rolled over onto her back, only to gasp as a sharp rock dug into her spine. Then her memories flooded back, and she gasped again, startled to feel cool air filling her lungs, rather than water.<p>

Wincing and battling back her headache, Zelda sat upright, forcing her eyes to focus. She took in the organic looking blue and tan walls, the floor, cracked and shattered, with pools of water here and there in the deeper holes in the stone surface. She was in a courtyard between several buildings, and given the shimmering dome above her, she was apparently within the walls of the Zora Palace. Had she made it over the wall before falling unconscious? It didn't seem likely, because she recalled rather clearly the feeling of slamming into the stone wall.

Rising to her feet, Zelda moved over to the stone boundary wall, running her hand along to search for gaps. The thumping sound seemed to be coming from the other side, possibly the Zora banging against the wall. It was possible she could have been sucked through some crack while she was unconscious, but there should have been some sign of the opening in this side of the wall. After a minute of fruitless searching, she stepped back, shaking her head.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm in the palace, so, off to find the Sapphire."

* * *

><p>The palace itself appeared to be a series of large stone towers, connected by smaller tunnels at floor level. The entire complex was surrounded by a high stone wall, which was capped with a shimmering bubble, which kept the air in. Three of the tallest towers sat in the center of the area, surrounded by a second wall, and that seemed like the most likely location for Zelda to find the Sapphire.<p>

It took a bit of time to reach the front gate of the inner complex, as whatever cataclysm had driven the Zora mad has also done considerable damage to the palace's structure. Several large pools of water lay among fallen blocks, and one of the outer towers had collapsed completely, creating an effective dividing wall across a large section of the outer courtyards. Zelda skirted around the pools, wary of rabid Zora leaping out of them. She figured that she would have to swim at some point in this dungeon, given that it was obviously what Link called a "Water Temple", but she would put off venturing into the murky depths for as long as possible.

The front gate to the inner complex was richly decorated, and was surrounded by an intricate mosaic of sea life, historical depictions, and what Zelda recognized as the Zora version of a Map. Given how the Zora lived in three dimensions under the water, their maps weren't really focused on scale, but more on positions of landmarks in relation to each other. Tracing her hands across the artistic diagram, Zelda had to conclude that the star emblem at the top of the tower closest to the gate must be the Zora Sapphire. She quickly moved over to the gate proper, running her hands across it to try and find a hidden latch, but all she found was a depression in the center that was obviously a keyhole. Sighing, Zelda stepped back, running her gaze across the numerous outer towers, and then scanning the inner wall for any plant life she could use to scale it with the Deku Emerald.

_'The grinning shark has swallowed the key.'_

Zelda whirled around, her eyes scanning for the source of the breathy whisper that had just echoed from behind her. The courtyard was empty, save for a few broken pieces of stone. Zelda stalked around, peering behind each stone, the Goron Ruby glowing with barely restrained fire. After a brief circuit, she hadn't found anyone in the courtyard.

_'Break the smile to retrieve the key.'_

Zelda whirled again, this time towards the inner wall. No sign of movement. Zelda's eyes fixed on a portion of the mosaic off to the left of the gate, where a massive shark with a mouthful of stone teeth was chasing after a Zora hunting party. Slowly pacing back from the wall, Zelda raised her gauntlet, pushing more energy into the Ruby. Her fingers flared out as she let the energy fly, and a fiery burst rocketed out to slam into the stone wall. There were several sharp cracking sounds, and as the smoke cleared, Zelda saw that several of the shark's teeth had broken off, revealing a small hole in the wall. Reaching down, Zelda picked up a long thin piece of broken stone from the ground, and carefully stuck the end of the stick into the hole in the wall. There was a brief metallic ring as the tip of the stone struck something in the hold, and then Zelda pulled the stone back, dragging out a bluish key, which fell to the ground with a tinkling thud.

Zelda looked around for a third time, before bending over to retrieve the key. It did appear like it would fit the keyhole in the gate. With a last glance over her shoulder, she scooped it up and walked back to the gate. The key was smooth and organic, just as she would expect from the Zora. With a small amount of trepidation, she slid the key into the keyhole. There was a click as it settled in place, before it quickly spun in place, breaking free of her grip. She took a hasty step backwards, but all that happened was the gate sliding open, splitting on a near-invisible line in the middle and swinging inward to reveal the inner courtyard. Zelda turned around once more to scan her surroundings, before heading into the central complex.

* * *

><p>The tower housing the Sapphire was tall and hollow. Zelda could see a long series of rising balconies, stretching up and around the interior up to a hole in the very top of the ceiling. From that hole dangled a broken staircase, the bottom half of which lay in a tangled heap in the middle of the floor. Water had leaked in from somewhere, leaving a deep moat of water surrounding the raised central dais where the staircase had once stood. Zelda frowned as she traced out a path up through the balconies. There was a balcony that she could probably reach if she leapt from the broken staircase, and then the door behind it would probably lead to a corridor to access the next tier of balconies. About halfway up, one of the balconies had collapsed, leaving a ramp of rubble stretching between three floors. Then at the top, she could cross the gap to the remnants of the staircase by stepping along that beam. So, that just meant...<p>

Zelda's only warning came in a harsh chittering sound. She spun in place, just in time to see a massive insect leap off of the surface of the water behind her. A large sphere of liquid followed it up, clutched in its legs, and as it came down, it bounced on the captured ball of water, bouncing forward to crush her. She rolled quickly to the side, and the insect kept going, its watery ride merging with the water on the far end of the room, and the bug skittered around on the surface, spinning about to come for a second pass. Off to the side, Zelda saw two more of the insects skitter around the bulk of the fallen staircase.

"Woohoo, a mini-boss." Zelda flexed her gauntlet, and rolled to the side again as the insect bounced towards her. This time, however, she let loose with a burst of flame from the Goron Ruby, which slammed into the bubble as it bounced past. The water superheated, expanding quickly, until the bubble burst, showering Zelda in hot water and causing the insect to crash to the ground, where it began to flail around, flopping towards the water.

Zelda leapt forward, charging a Fairy Spark to take the insect down, only to have to leap back as the other two insect bounced forward. By the time she had dodged past both of them, the original insect had made it to the water, and was skittering around to have another go.

That set the pace of the battle for several minutes. She would manage to destroy one of their bubbles, but it would result in the other insects blocking her from finishing off the downed insect. She tried to take all three out, but by the time she nailed the third, the first would have gotten back to the water and came back for another go.

'I need to break up their pace.' Zelda rolled past the insects again, and reached into the pouch on her back. She quickly pulled out a Bomb Flower Seed, and began focusing on growing it. This may or may not work, but it was worth a shot. The moment the Bomb Flower was fully grown and had started to hiss, she grabbed it with her free hand, pivoted, and fired off a fire blast at the nearest water bubble. It burst, the insect went flying, and Zelda lightly lobbed the bomb towards where it seemed the insect would land. She may not have had much of a throwing arm, but at this distance, accuracy was more important, and she was nothing if not precise. The insect landed perfectly on the bomb, and then a second later was sent flying again, this time in several pieces. Zelda dodged a flying leg as she drew out another Bomb Flower Seed, grinning ferally.

After she finished with the jumping insects, Zelda moved to the middle of the tower. She could play the game, move through room to room, but she had an uneasy feeling, and she wanted to claim the Sapphire as soon as possible. Reaching back into her seed pouch, she reached into a different section and pulled out a couple of Tough Ivy seeds. It would be easier if there were dirt around, but she could make up for it with more power. She placed the seeds at the base of the ruined stair, and quickly began feeding magic into them. The vines sprouted, twisting through the rubble to form a base, and then three thick vines shot skyward. Two of them missed, flopping sideways to slam into the wall and curl around the edge of balconies. The third reached her target and curled around the bottommost step of the top half of the ruined staircase. Quickly, the vine twisted around more of the rubble, stretching out to secure itself. Zelda pulled on the Ivy briefly, and then began to climb.

* * *

><p>It took a minute or so to reach the hole in the ceiling, and Zelda was extremely grateful that her Unawake self had grown up with acrobatic and other exercise training. It made this entire journey much easier to have a competent body.<p>

There was a small door off to the side in the chamber above the hole. Zelda crossed quickly, and found the chamber to be unlocked. She pushed her way inside, wary of traps or enemies, but there was nothing. Unfortunately, that nothing extended to magic gems. There was no sign of the Zora Sapphire, though the pedestal in the middle fit the part of a resting place for the gemstone.

"Great. Of course, the thing is lost. Next, I will get some spooky premonition about a Zora taking it away to the desert or something."

"Not quite that far, my dear lady."

Zelda spun around at the unexpected voice, to find herself face to face with a ghost. The pale image of a Zora King floated in the air in front of her, smiling slightly. Zelda straightened.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry I startled you. My name is King Lubol."

"Zelda. So you moved the Sapphire?"

The King nodded, his head bobbing oddly, and he floated forward. "Yes, yes, I did. It was when the Toxins first appeared, yes, yes. The Zora's Sapphire proved capable of cleansing the water, but not completely, no, no, it only cleared a small area. There were ancient spells, yes, yes, that I knew of, sealed below the palace, and so I took the Sapphire, yes, yes, to use to power a barrier around the village. It should have kept the toxin out, yes, yes, but before I could finished, yes, yes, those driven mad by the toxin attacked, yes, yes, and I was only able to defend the palace grounds before I died, yes, yes. You can find the Zora Sapphire in a chamber below the palace, at the base of the Great Cistern, yes, yes."

Zelda nodded. "Very well. And how do I get there?"

The Zora King waved his hand towards the small desk set off to the side. "Take up my charm that lies in that desk. It will allow you to create bubbles of air, yes, yes, and will help you control the doors in my palace. Then, travel as deep as you can go within this tower. There should be a tunnel that will lead into the Grand Cistern from down there, yes, yes."

Zelda strode over to the desk, quickly searching through the drawers before she found the obviously magical charm. It took the form of a seashell on a short necklace chain. She put it on and examined it for a moment.

'Well, at least it matches my complexion.' Zelda turned to thank the King, only to find the room was empty. She complained aloud, "I hate Batman exits!", before turning to head back out of the room.

* * *

><p>The climb down through the tower was somewhat harrowing. As if cued by Zelda heading towards the actual Sapphire, hoards of enemies suddenly popped up out of the stonework, as it were. Snapping fish she didn't recognize, feral Zora that had slipped in through the barrier, Octorocks that spat sea urchins, wave after wave popped up as she made her way down the tower. Luckily, she had managed to slide down the vine to the ground floor, but the tower apparently extended just as far down as it did up. Eventually, however, she made it to a tunnel marked with a map drawing displaying a cistern or well, and she knew she was on the right path.<p>

The tunnel itself, like most of the bottom levels of the tower, was underwater, but thanks to the Zora King's Charm, she could conjure up bubbles of breathable air at will, which made moving about underwater much easier. With the glowing gems of her gauntlet providing light, she set off down the tunnel.

The tunnel was straight, for the most part, though there were dips and rises every so often. A few of the snapping fish came through, but otherwise it was almost peaceful. So, Zelda should have been expecting something to go wrong. There was a brief rumble, and suddenly a long, green something burst out of the ground directly in front of her. She caught a glimpse of glowing red eyes and blade like fins, and then whatever it was was gone, smashing its way through the ceiling. A whirlpool formed in the bottom of the tunnel as water began rushing out into whatever was below. Chunks of the ceiling and wall tumbled with it, as did Zelda herself, but the rubble arrived exactly as she did, and a single massive stone plugged the hole just as her leg slipped inside.

Zelda let out a ragged gasp as her leg was pinned by the pressure between the rock and the floor. She twisted, trying to work the rock off, but all that she accomplished was popping the bubble around her head on a nearby sharp stone. She gasped, swallowing a lungful of water, and quickly formed another bubble, coughing as she did so. The rocks around her were settling in, and she had to brace herself with her arms to keep from popping her precious bubble against any of the nearby stones.

'Ok, Zelda, think. That's what you are good at.' She couldn't use bombs or fire, as either of those would damage her, and might just collapse the tunnel further. Fairy Spark was useless, and the Ivy wouldn't grow in seawater. She couldn't spot any other plants nearby, and none of her other tools would be much use. As for out of Loop spells, maybe she could vanish the stone? That still might trigger a bigger collapse, so she stowed that idea for now. Most of her teleportation spells were iffy when used underwater, or when trapped like she was, plus she needed a clear destination, and she didn't really want to try to backtrack through here to get the Sapphire. Strengthening magic, maybe? She could try to use that Reinforcement Skill she had picked up in Fuyuki.

Zelda shivered at the cold water, and shifted slightly to rest her arms a bit, only to catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and froze, dread creeping up her spine. It was a Floormaster, though bigger than most that she had seen. Crimson energy crackled around it as it flexed its fingers, its long wrist vanishing into a pool of shadow. Idly, it pushed aside a couple of pieces of stone as it reached towards Zelda. Somewhat frantically, she twisted to bring the Gauntlet to bear, popping her bubble again in the process. The Floormaster suddenly accelerated forward, palm flat, and it swatted the side of the boulder trapping Zelda.

The boulder might as well have been made of foam. It ripped free of the ground, its wake splitting the water and scattering several of the smaller rock fragments. Zelda flipped over, bringing her Gauntlet around, Fairy Topaz burning with light, even as she made a new bubble around her head, but the Floormaster was faster. Its massive fingers closed around her, and then it retracted. Zelda bounced against one of the rock pieces, and then she entered the shadow.

* * *

><p>She couldn't breathe. She couldn't tell if her bubble had popped, but she couldn't get air into her lungs, and she couldn't feel her limbs. It was so cold, so dark, so tight, she was blacking out, drowning, down, down,...<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda tumbled end over end as she popped out of the shadows, rolling to a stop against the side of a large statue. The energy from her gauntlet released into a Fairy Spark that hurled towards the ceiling, flaring with a sharp pop against the distant stone. She gasped, sucking in large lungfuls of air, and twisted onto her hands and knees, coughing to rid herself of the water that had been sucked into her lungs. She sat there for several moments, before hauling herself upright. She glanced up, only to blink as she saw a solid dome overhead, rather than the open ocean she had expected. Had the Floormaster not pulled her back out to the courtyard of the palace? She examined the walls and ceiling and then stepped out around the statue itself, and stopped. In the middle of the room, the floor dropped away to form a massive pit. Water sloshed several feet below the edge of the pit, while tall Zora statues lined the walls in a circle. If Zelda didn't know any better, she would call this room...<p>

"Why did the Floormaster bring me to the Grand Cistern?" For that matter, why had it appeared underwater? Zelda had never heard of one of those evil hands popping up under water, though it was possible Link just hadn't shared that story with her. Shaking her head to clear it, Zelda paced around the edge of the cistern, peering down into the water. There did seem to be a bluish glow down in the depths of the cistern, so it was entirely possible that this was indeed the place she was looking for. Zelda quickly paced around, looking for signs or writings. The only sign she found was in an odd form of the Zora Script, and it read something like "Overflow Tunnel, Next Floor".

Zelda turned and walked back to the edge of the pit of water. The best way to check if this was the right place was to go down and explore the glow. However, Link's advice came to mind about this sort of situation. 'Adventurer's Tip #22: If your goal is in sight, an enemy is about to drop on your head.' The waters below were murky enough on the edges to contain any number of beasts, and they would probably attack the moment she entered the water. Zelda smirked slightly as she reached for her pouch. 'Time to cheat a little, then.'

Looking back, Zelda figured she probably should have dropped the bomb just a little bit sooner, though it wouldn't have really made a difference in the long run. Bomb Flowers were rather finicky when wet, but the Zora King's Charm gave her a solution. She wrapped one of her Bomb Flowers in a bubble to keep the water out, before releasing it to drop into the water below. Sure enough, just moments after the bomb dropped in, something large stirred in the water. Zelda saw several shadowy appendages reach for the Bomb Flower, before it detonated in a rather impressive explosion.

The surface of the cistern broke as a massive squid popped up through the surface, its tentacles flailing. Zelda couldn't see any marks from the bomb blast, so it had probably detonated a bit too early. Still, she didn't have much time to think about it, as she had to leap to the side to avoid the thrashing tentacles. She leapt back again, and then ducked under a sweeping strike. It was just like with those bouncing bugs, there were just too many tentacles moving about to keep track of them all accurately. Hastily, she ducked and rolled behind a fallen statue to try and catch her breath.

_'Look upward'_

Zelda flinched slightly as the mysterious whisper returned. Almost reflexively, she glanced upward, and she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. It was across the chamber, on one of the balconies above the ground floor. The Floormaster from before had returned.

It waved cheerfully at her.

Zelda blinked, staring blankly at the bizarre sight, before she had to throw herself out from behind the statue as a long tentacle slapped down where she had been crouching. She ran around the edge of the chamber, keeping one eye on the Floormaster, that was now pointing at a tunnel next to it.

"It wants me to run away? Why did it drop me off here then?" Zelda muttered to herself as she spun around, blasting on of the tentacles with a fire from the Goron Ruby. The tentacle flinched back, but it didn't appear to have actually done any damage.

_'The intruder has a long reach, but frail. Use the gates to break his grasp.'_

"What gates?" Zelda leapt over another tentacle, kicking off of the wall to land on a fallen bit of stone, and then actually jumped onto a tentacle as it swung by. The tentacle was bouncy, almost like rubber, and she quickly jumped off back to the ground. Her little stunt seemed to have confused the squid, as if flailed at the air, ignoring her for the moment. Another movement caught her eye, and she saw the Floormaster from before, now on a nearby balcony, pointing at another tunnel. Zelda blinked as she noticed to gate suspended above the entrance to the tunnel. "That gate?"

The Floormaster began wiggling its fingers, before it stuck out one finger and pointed down the tunnel. Then, it drew back the finger sharply and shook itself, wiggling its remaining fingers. Zelda blinked, before glancing at the squid.

"Use the gates to break his grasp. Of course." She looked up again to find the Floormaster was gone. "Man, wait till Link hears I played Charades with a Floormaster."

It actually proved easier than she thought to make it up to the balcony. There were several sea vine growing in cracks in the wall, and she was easily able to amplify their growth to create a path up to the next level. She flipped onto the balcony, just as the squid apparently rediscovered where she was. She jumped to the left, avoiding a slap from one tentacle, and then ducked down to avoid a sweep. It was actually easier to dodge the tentacles on the small balcony, as the tentacles were somewhat sluggish reaching up this high out of the water. Finally, the squid reeling back and jabbed forward with one of its tentacles. Zelda twisted to the side, and the tentacle itself continued, straight into the tunnel behind her. Zelda quickly leapt over to the wall and pulled the lever. The gate squealed, before dropping to the floor with a crash, cutting off a good three feet from the end of the tentacle.

Whatever the squid had been expecting, it obviously wasn't that. It quickly drew all of its tentacles back, screeching, before it bashed its head against the side of the cistern and sort of flopped over a bit. Zelda wasted no time in firing off several shots of both the Fairy Spark and the Goron Ruby, with a Bomb Flower tossed in at the end for good measure. The Spark didn't seem to do anything, and the Ruby only made it twitch, but the Bomb Flower caused it to spasm in pain and quickly slip under the water.

Zelda used the quick break to try and reset her tunnel trap, but it appeared that the old gate was sealed shut from the impact. Zelda quickly turned and made a count of the gates she could see. Four other gates circled around the room. She nodded and hopped over the edge of her balcony to make her way to the next gate.

* * *

><p>In the end, it only took getting two more tentacles chopped for the squid to decide she was too much trouble and to swim off into the murk. She waited for several minutes to see if it would return, but the cistern remained calm. Another dropped bomb didn't engender a response, and so finally, Zelda slipped over the edge and dropped into the water. She quickly descended, bubble securely wrapped around her head, and finally alighted on the bottom of the cistern. The glow she had seen before was shining out of a shimmering hole in the floor, and Zelda quickly slipped through, to find that a barrier similar to the one over the palace was in place, keeping water out of the room below. She dropped lightly to the floor below.<p>

The Zora Sapphire was sitting on a small pedestal, obviously feeding energy into the spell the Zora King had mentioned. Zelda shook herself (she had been completely dried by the barrier over the hole, but she still felt like she should be wet), and walked over to the table. She reached out to pick up the crystal, only to pause. Would removing the Sapphire flood the chamber and palace with water?

"Don't worry, the spell is hardy enough to last for some weeks without the stone before it would fail."

"Auugh!" Zelda spun around, "Will everyone stop doing that!?" She flushed as she saw the Zora King's Ghost floating in the air, looking rather affronted by her response. She closed her eyes, bowed, and took a deep breath, before bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, I have been getting paranoid about people sneaking up on me."

The Zora King nodded, chuckling slightly. "Not at all. It is understandable to be nervous when not in your element. In any case, as I said, the spell to keep the polluted waters away from the palace should remain for at least two weeks before it would fail. However, I do have a request to make." The Zora King floated over, hovering by the Sapphire's stand. "My people are long-lived, and many of those that knew the times before the pollution are still alive, driven mad by the tainted waters. If the seas could only be cleansed, I am sure that they could regain their senses." He turned to face Zelda. "Gauntlet-Bearer, I must plead, please take up the Sapphire and purify these waters. The Sapphire will allow you to create a purifying stream of water, as well as purifying nearby water. If you can track down the source of the pollution, you can break its hold on the seas once and for all."

Zelda nodded, then frowned. "Just to be clear, you are implying that the squid that was guarding the cistern is not the source of the pollution, correct?"

"Oh no, Bluphquis is simply a neighbor of the Zora who took refuge in the palace. He is much fiercer now than he used to be, but he is as much a victim as the Zora." Seeing Zelda's somewhat sheepish face, The Zora King laughed. "Don't worry, his grasping arms will heal in time, no harm done."

Zelda nodded. "Alright. So, do you have any idea on what is causing the pollution?"

"Indeed I do. We called them Shadow Urchins. Twisted balls of malignant magic, they can't stand the purity of water, so they pollute it to make it suitable for their habitation. If you come across them, simply engulfing them in pure water should be enough to rob them of strength, and then they can be simply destroyed. Our folly was not to destroy them when they first appeared, and by the time we set out to destroy them, they had already polluted large swaths of the sea and twisted much of the sea life into savage degenerates."

"And how many of these Shadow Urchins are there?"

"No more than a few dozen."

Zelda slumped slightly at the thought of swimming around the entire ocean looking for balls of evil, when she had an idea.

"Let's head outside."

* * *

><p>Zelda finished the last node of her runic drawing with a flourish, and stepped back to check her work. She had found many different methods for amplifying magic through the Loops, and she had found that runic circles tended to be the best, if you could properly set them up. She had set up a large circle in the main courtyard of the palace, generally divided into three quadrants, each of which contained a pentagram that linked in the center. Everything looked to be in order, so Zelda quickly crossed to the center of the circle and held out her gauntlet, the Zora Sapphire shining. Then, she began to dance.<p>

Twisting, contorting, spinning in place, Zelda danced around and around in the small central circle of the runic circle. As she flung her arms out, water flowed away from the Gauntlet, spiralling out to cover the lines of runes in the greater circle, causing them to glow brightly as the water flowed over them. Over and over, water flowed out, until a thick flowing mass of glowing water spiraled around within the runic circle, the small inner circle where Zelda was dancing the only piece of dry ground remaining. Opening her mouth, Zelda began to sing the Song of Healing. If what she had observed was true, the Song should help boost the power and purity of the Zora's Water, and may help it to damage the Urchins when it got to them.

The song and dance rose to a crescendo, as the water whipped and whirled within the bounds of the circle. Finally, Zelda felt that she couldn't contain the magic any longer, and she threw open her arms, triggering the outer circle to release the water. Several massive streams of water burst out, twisting like massive serpents as they flowed around the courtyard, before striking out at the inside of the dome. The dome glowed as the water flowed out, spreading into the Zora City. Despite the water being freed from the circle, the water around Zelda was actually increasing, forming a whirling dome around her, out of which several more streams of water flowed out to connect to the wider ocean.

* * *

><p>Starting with the water of the palace, a wave of purification flowed outward, not just pushing the pollution away, but eradicating it completely. The ocean waters glowed as the power of the Zora Sapphire, boosted by the magic and knowledge of a Looper, raced through the ocean. A small Shadow Urchin, hidden at the edge of the City, screamed as the wave of magic swept away its dark power, leaving it to deflate in its hiding spot, powerless. More of the Shadow Urchins were rendered powerless as the wave of purity washed through the ocean, and, on the surface, the water glowed with the holy energy.<p>

* * *

><p>Back near Hyrule, several fishermen were just setting out for a day of fishing. Out, farther ahead, was a smaller, weather-worn boat. Most of the sailors shook their heads as they watched Renmark sail out to check the deep waters. Renmark was the oldest fisherman in Hyrule, and he claimed to remember back when the waters were clear all the way out through the deeps, when you could chat with the Zora out as you fished. Every day he would sail out to see if the clear waters had returned, and every day he would sail into the fishing ground an hour later and quietly let down his nets. The sailors turned back to their lines, tacking to swerve out and around, down the coast towards where the fish schools were last seen. Then, one man glanced up, and noticed that Renmark's ship was on its way back. The sailor squinted, holding his hand out, and he could just make out Renmark, dancing around on the deck of his boat, and waving his hat in the air. Turning, the sailor poked the captain of his three-man vessel.<p>

"Renmark's on his way back. Looks excited about something." Slowly, word spread, and several of the sailors peered out to see what Renmark was dancing about.

"You think some of the schools have move clHOLY GODDESS!" Similar shouts went up all around the fishing fleet as the source of Renmark's excitement became obvious. A wave of light was sliding through the ocean, shining so brightly there was no doubt that it must have had mystical, possibly divine, origins. The light rushed past the fleet, surging inward to the now distant shore. The fishing fleet eventually came to, sailing out after Renmark to explore the now purified ocean.

* * *

><p>Water crashed to the courtyard as Zelda ended the massive spell, dropping to her knees in exhaustion. It wasn't the biggest piece of magic she had ever done, but it was still extremely draining. The Zora King floated over to her, his eyes wide.<p>

"You, you truly purged the sea of the darkness. How...?"

"I've got a few secrets, and a link to the Ancient Triforce." Zelda straightened up, smiling slightly. "I can't explain it all now, but that should solve the issue for now. It will take months before what Urchins survived will be able to taint the seas again. I will return in a month to purify the sea again, and hopefully the Zora will have regained their sanity enough that they can track down the Urchins. They will be much more effective than I will."

The Zora King nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a joyful laugh filling the courtyard. Zelda looked up, eyes wide, as the Great Fairy of the Sea appeared in a flare of light above their heads, circling around and glowing with energy.

"There will be no need to return. I and my fairies will track down the Urchins and destroy them." She opened one hand, to reveal a deflated black sphere, before she crushed it in her hand, dispersing it into black smoke. "You may continue your journey. Break the dark will that felled Hyrule, and seeks to destroy the entire planet."

Zelda opened her mouth to agree, but was cut off as a wave of blue light sprang up around her, and she felt herself being transported away. When the light faded, she smiled at the sight of pure, untainted seas. She turned around slowly, and then her smile faded. Seas stretched in all directions, and a familiar boat was tied up alongside the rock she was standing on.

"Right, I guess I'm sailing back. Joy."

* * *

><p>21.12 (DrTempo)<p>

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><p>Saria Senju was the top kunoichi graduate at Kohona Academy, and possessed the Mokuton bloodline, which allowed her to summon forests and trees as weapons. She was heading for her team assignments...<p>

Then something happened to her, as she Awakened. Memories of a life not her own, spent among a far different forest, flooded her mind and senses.

Clenching her head, Saria staggered for a second. Looking around, she didn't recognize where she was at first. 'This isn't anywhere in Hyrule. Where...'

Her memories soon gave her the answer. "This is Konoha. Was Hyrule..simply a dream?"

As Saria sat down in her classroom, she was still deeply confused. Hyrule seemed so real, her memories of it so vivid, and her memories of Kokiri Forest felt more real than those of this place. But she was here, now, physically present in a life she barely recognized. As she pondered this conundrum, Naruto Uzumaki, the class clown, walked over to her, a curious expression on his face. He asked, "You Awake, Saria? Today's a big day."

Nodding, Saria responded, "Yes, Uzumaki-san. Why did you emphasise 'Awake' like that, though? Though I am Awake, I feel that I did have an odd dream. Almost..."

"Too real?"

She jumped slightly as Sasuke Uchiha sat down next to her, and asked, "What was the dream about?"

Saria looked between the two of them, somewhat put off. Neither of them had really spoken to her that she could remember, but she was still confused about what was real. Smiling to cover her confusion, she decided to reply, saying, "A place called Hyrule." As she explained her 'dream', Sasuke looked at Naruto, who got an odd look on his face.

"Did you feel that?"

Saria looked around, confused, "Feel what?"

Naruto shook his head, smiling. "Never mind, you must be very new." He laughed lightly at her confused face, then said, to Saria's shock, "Hyrule, Link, Zelda, they were not a dream..."

* * *

><p>After Naruto and Sasuke explained things, Saria smiled, though she still felt offput.<p>

"So, I'm a 'Looper' now. And if what you say is true, I'll be able to use the skills I learn here when I return to my home Loop."

Naruto and Sasuke smiled and nodded, both ignoring the teacher who was making team announcements.

Saria mused to herself. "These powers might help against..."

"...Team 7, Naruto Uzumaki, Saria Senju, and Sasuke Uchiha. Jounin Sensei is Ganondorf Uzumaki."

Saria looked up. "...Him." At that instant, she looked scared beyond reason, half a second from bolting from her desk. Naruto facepalmed. "Knew I forgot something... Knew I felt a reply to my Ping." He placed his hand on Saria's arm, forcing her to look at him. "Saria, relax. Ganondorf...he's more or less not so evil. If he was, him being one of your world's Anchors would be really bad."

"You can not be serious...him, not evil? And an Anchor.. That's impossible." Saria shook her head, visions of flame and death, of the foul power of the Gerudo King filling her memory.

Naruto put his hand on her arm again. "Perhaps it will help for me to explain. Here's what happened to mellow him out."

* * *

><p>After the explanation of Ganondorf's purification, Saria was still confused. "So, he's..."<p>

"Not responsible for my actions? I'm amused, Forest Sage."

Saria leapt in her chair, wood sprouting from the nearby desks and floor to form a defensive shield, as Ganondorf appeared behind the three Genin. He gave a light chuckle at her response, but then frowned.

"Sadly, all my choices were mine. I do regret them a bit, but I must take the role of the Dark Lord. Better the evil you know, as they say, and regardless, it is the role to which I am accustomed. I had a feeling you'd become a Looper sooner or later. Though, I had thought, hoped perhaps, that you would encounter Link or Zelda before me, to be honest." Offering a hand, he said, "Shall we put the past behind us?"

Saria stared, the wood still half wrapped around her. "I…" Slowly, she nodded, and reached out to shake his hand, her entire body still tense. "For now, I will trust you, as I seem to have little choice, Ganondorf. Naruto's vouched for you, so...A truce..for now."

Ganondorf nodded. "That is as much as I expected." Then, he reached into thin air and withdrew a staff, before handing it to Saria. "Something I acquired in a recent Loop. That is a Deku Staff; a fitting weapon for you, I must say. Tragically, since I was the only Anchor Awake that Loop, I did have to play my role."

Saria frowned. "I understand. I'm glad for the gift. Once I see an Unawake version of you, he'll pay for what he did to Hyrule. That'll be cathartic. It will take me a while to trust you, if I ever do, but for now, I believe you have some new ninja to train."

Ganondorf cracked his knuckles. "You're the one in need of teaching compared to these two. They could likely train me. However, since I am the leader here, I will take the time to enjoy this."

Naruto grinned, leaping to his feet, and yelled, "Let's go!" Saria smiled as she followed, while inside her mind still whirled from the revelations.

* * *

><p>21.1 Omake!<p>

* * *

><p>"Huh, buh, wha, how!?" Navi buzzed in shock, as Librari simply tilted his head, a single eyebrow raised in polite curiosity. Shutting her open mouth, Navi squinted, and flew a tight circle around Librari, examining him minutely. Then, in a blur of motion, she reached forward to tug on his nose.<p>

The Librari Mask came off with a pop, and Link blinked owlishly at her. "Oh, hi Navi. Fancy meeting you here."

"...LINK!" Link darted for the door as three blades of wind cut through the spot he had been before, Navi giving chase with Titania held in her grip.

* * *

><p>21.1 - And Librari joins the Loops, as the wise old mentor figure...despite most everyone else being older and (arguably) wiser than he is.<p>

21.2 - Why doesn't the lightsaber have a "burn a hole in everything in this direction" setting?

21.3 - Gives a new meaning to Disco Inferno.

21.4 - To which, Link responds with the Flames of...Foliage.

21.5 - Midna enjoys having a mature form more than words can express.

21.6 - Link's biggest worry this Loop? Ghosts.

21.7 - Librari enjoys a good prank.

21.8 - This is an issue each Looper has to deal with in their own way.

21.9 - Remembering with distinction.

21.10 - Ganondorf was a bit less enthusiastic when he learned motorcycles are nicknamed "hogs".

21.11 - And Zelda claims another treasure. The Fetch Quest is almost over.

21.12 - And now Saria joins the Loops as well.

21.1 Omake - No, this didn't actually happen, yes, Librari is Looping. Still, it's a good prank.

* * *

><p>Alright, and that concludes this batch of updates. I would love to promise more soon, but history is rather against me. Regardless, enjoy these tales of the Legend of Zelda Time Loops!<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: In Which Things Happen

Disclaimer: As has been stated, things happen in this chapter. The characters these things happen to, and places where they are happening, are not owned by me, I'm just telling you about them.

* * *

><p>22.1 (Evilhumour)<p>

* * *

><p>There was a stomp of hooves that entered Twilight Sparkle's library, causing her to look up. First entering was very familiar looking colt glaring in complete anger as a tall black alicorn who followed him in. The colt was well groomed, mane perfectly washed and cut. He looked perfectly presentable in public but why did he look so familiar...?<p>

Then Twilight looked at the cutie mark and did a double take. "Lemon?"

The colt could only roll his eyes as an answer.

"What happened, who is tha-"

Then she realized who it was in front of her. It was the Dark Lord Ganondorf, from Hyrule. She noticed his cutie mark resembled that of the Tri-force, the top part was a bit brighter, and his face resembled his previous time here. Twilight's eyes darted from the young colt's perfectly groomed mane to the brush still in Ganondorf's telekinetic grasp. Then she burst out laughing as she put the dots together.

Nyx poked her head out of her room, stared at her boyfriend before falling over and joining her mother in laughter, rolling on her back with Lemon only grumbling under his breath as she started to squeak.

"It took me several dozen scissors, a couple lakes, Equestria's entire supply of rope to hold him steady, an unfathomable amount of combs and brushes but I _finally_ got him looking presentable." Curry Comb**, **his pony name this Loop, chuckled. "It seemed that miss Fluttershy _was_ right; it would take a _herculean _effort to get him all tidied up."

Lemon Rush only sighed, the Little Mother had been taken to the hospital as she could not stop laughing after seeing him. Suddenly there was flash of lights as cameras went off, with many pictures being taken of him.

"The things I do for love."

* * *

><p>22.2 (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Another day, another loop for Zelda.<p>

This loop was particularly strange, considering that Link was whistling this tune that she could have sworn came from another loop, but she had trouble where it came from.

Ganondorf came around the corner, perking up as he heard the tune.

"When did you learn of the Harlem Globetrotters?"

"A hub loop. You're a fan?"

"No, I merely kept hearing those blasted commercials."

"Wait, that's why that tune was familiar."

The two turned towards the princess.

"You watched one of their games?"

"Until someone got pantsed."

Link laughed.

"Oh, grow up, Link." Ganondorf said.

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Ganon, grow up."

"You are both not fun." Link walked away, whistling the tune again.

"What's the appeal anyway?" Zelda asked.

"I assume it's a shallow parody of basketball."

"Oh, like Space Jam."

"Exactly!"

* * *

><p>22.3 (Zerorock41)<p>

* * *

><p>Link sat across the bar from the resident anchor, Kazuma Kenzaki.<p>

"So. How long do your loops tend to last?", asked the Hylian-somewhat-anchor.

The currently human Kenzaki took a shot of his drink and replied, "Depends. Sometimes it only goes as far as my becoming the second Joker. If we're doing a fused/tandem run with the other Riders, we go up to the Heisei vs. Showa War, though we may be getting an expansion on that soon. Lastly, there's this one Variant that lasts upwards of 2 centuries."

"So... get comfortable?"

"Yeah pretty much," Kenzaki smiled and took another drink. "I gotta ask though. What loop did you pick this drink from? It's great."

Link smirked. "Picked it up from the Robot from the Star Wars Loops, though he got it from the ponies apparently."

* * *

><p>22.4<p>

* * *

><p>Squidward yawned, then groaned, as he awoke to yet another Loop in Bikini Bottom. Oh, how he longed for those glorious Loops where he was somewhere, anywhere else. Even Eiken was a...ok, Eiken really wasn't an improvement, given that it usually featured female versions of...<p>

WHAM! Squidward promptly pulled out a massive hammer labeled 'Brain Bleach' and performed some percussive memory maintenance before whatever thought he was thinking could finish. He had long ago trained his subconscious to recognize moments he wouldn't want to think about, and apply some good old-fashioned kinetic reboots to stop those thoughts flat.

Sighing as he dragged himself out of bed, Squidward marched into the kitchen and mentally began debating on what hobby he would try and perfect this Loop, while inevitably being interrupted by the yellow and pink menaces. 'Not an instrument, I've gone through the orchestra over the last few Loops. Maybe scrapbooking? Added catharsis of being able to dice pictures of Spongebob and Patrick into tiny pieces...yes, that sounds like a plan.'

"Morning Daddy."

Squidward froze, his mind locking up at the unfamiliar voice. His head slowly turned to face the table, where a young female squid was currently munching on a bowl of cereal. She (thankfully) hadn't inherited his large nose, but otherwise was every inch obviously his daughter. For a brief moment he had been panicked that he would be forced to spend a Loop being father to Pearl, but that didn't seem to be the case. At least it wasn't...

A stray thought caused ice to congeal in Squidward's chest, and he quickly dashed forward, grabbing his apparent daughter by the tentacles. "What is your opinion of Spongebob Squarepants?"

The girl blinked, twice, before raising an eyebrow. "The yellow sponge you work with? He's kind of weird..." The rest of her answer was cut off as Squidward jumped up and did a bit of a jig. Several times before when he had been father to Pearl (and once to Sandy, bizarrely), they had ended up going to school with Spongebob, and having ridiculous crushes on the brat. It had been horrible.

"Though, I guess he is kind of cute..." There was a crashing sound as Squidward's hopes came crashing down, before spontaneously combusting and then collapsing into a void of darkness. His spiral of despair was cut apart by some giggling laughter.

With a graceful twirl, his daughter-for-a-Loop spun out of her chair and alighted next to him, smiling brightly. "I'm joking. I've heard how crazy he and your Loop is from several others."

Squidward let out a massive sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

His daughter then bowed. "Well, I guess this is hello. My name is Ruto, a Zora from the Land of Hyrule."

Squidward blinked. "I think I've been there before. You are those surface-dwelling fish people."

Ruto nodded. "Yep. Princess Zelda was the one who told me about you and your Loop. Something about you starting a crazy Happy Dance craze among the Zora during your Loop."

Squidward chuckled awkwardly. He tended to go a bit nuts when he had time away from the insanity of Bikini Bottom.

Ruto then started wiggling her tentacles. "Having all these limbs feels odd. It is kind of like the times I have spent as a Parella." She did a quick spin, then got a wicked looking grin on her face. "I'm actually in the middle of a Prank War between me, a fairy, and a ninja in my own Loop. Do you want to help me practice some of the pranks on Spongebob?"

Squidward blinked, then grinned as scrapbooking was firmly scrapped as a hobby, and pranking took its place. Maybe this Loop might be fun after all.

* * *

><p>22.5<p>

* * *

><p><strong>UUWOOOAAAHHH!<strong>

The eldritch fusion of an Unawake Ganondorf and the Mask of Majora roared as they twisted and fused into an Avatar of Majora. Black tendrils twisted through the air, a rushing howl filling this bizarre space within the moon.

Zelda tightened up her grip on her bow. Link had asked to do a baseline run, as he wanted to pick up another version of the Fierce Deity Mask for some of his experiments. He was relying on a Loophole that often existed, where the Skull Kid lookalikes (who all looked like mini-Ganondorfs this time) would accept any masks, so long as 24 of them were given. Link had given some of his massive collection of Stalkid masks (they made very good targets for the Song of Healing), and had picked up the mask.

Zelda leapt back as several of the tendrils lashed forward. Ganondorf was now bending over on four legs, and looked rather like a cross between a gorilla and an octopus. Zelda quickly began summoning and firing light arrows, severing some of the tendrils, and piercing through several of his limbs. Still, it didn't do much more than irritate him, and he let out a black howl of energy, which Zelda deflected with a Mirror Shield. Behind her, Link sat with the mask on, but not transforming.

Navi had apparently asked the question of what deity, exactly, the mask was made from. Link hadn't been entirely sure (he knew of a couple of variants, but they were most certainly not baseline). He had decided to try to use a version of Psychometry he had picked up from Mario, who had learned it from Shiroe, who had probably invented it. The technique allowed the user to relive portions of the history of the object, and when he tried it on some of his masks, he had been able to relive the lives of those that made the masks.

The problem came with the fact that his copies of the Fierce Deity Mask all had his history mixed in with them. He had worn each of them so many times that his own history blurred into the mask. So, he needed a fresh mask to try it out on.

Zelda shivered as she blocked another lashing tendril, and returned fire with several arrows and a Din's Fire. She still wasn't clear on Link's reasoning for why he had to do it now, rather than, say, next Loop, but it gave a chance for a workout. Then again, now that Zelda thought about it, this might not be the best Loop to try this, as Ganondorf showing up here may have skewed things. Oh well, she could always laugh at Link's face when she pointed that out.

Zelda felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and she quickly threw herself to the floor, barely avoiding a massive crescent of energy that flashed past her and smashed into Majoradorf, embedding it into the far wall. She quickly spun, and her admonishment died on her lips.

Link was standing in Fierce Deity Form, but everything about his stance and demeanor screamed "WRONG" to Zelda. His lips were twisted into a nasty sneer, and he was idly swinging the Helix Sword back and forth.

"Huhuhuhuhu. So, ickle Majora thought to use my prison to spread destruction. And using Demise's errand boy to do it. Naughty, naughty. Huhuhu. I really don't like thieves." He chuckled, before flexing one of his arms. "Though, I suppose that may be...hypocritical of me. After all, I do intend to take this body," he then snapped out his arm, and a copy of the Biggoron Sword appeared in it, "and all the knowledge and power it brings with it."

A grave chill ran up Zelda's spine. This...was not good.

* * *

><p>22.6 (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>"Ganondorf."<p>

"Yes, Link?"

"Why do you own a Chicken and Waffle restaurant?"

Ganondorf shrugged.

"I don't know. Want some chicken and waffles? Vaati makes some good chicken and waffles."

Link shrugged. "Why not?"

* * *

><p>22.7 (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Ganondorf and Zelda were politely talking about the boring old news of politics when Malon walked up to the duo.<p>

"Guys, you'll never guess what I found!"

"Sanity?" Ganondorf replied, clearly not liking today already.

"Moderation?" Zelda asked, her voice full of hope.

"Nope." Malon took out a really fat Cucco.

"The fattest Cucco!"

Looking at the fat Cucco in awe, Zelda leaned in towards Ganondorf.

"You know, all things considered, this is the least dangerous thing Malon has done in a while."

"Weirdly enough, you're right."

"Still, I'm worried."

"A bunch of fat Cuccos killing you instead of lean ones, probably more embarrassing."

"By the way, have you heard of Link recently?"

"Nope. Who fires a gun at a Cucco? Those things are indestructible."

"I dunno, but he's not going to be walking for a while."

"So fat." Malon muttered to herself, ignoring the others.

* * *

><p>22.8 (Tincanman125)<p>

* * *

><p>"I must admit Link, you are every bit as brave and powerful as I was led to believe." Lazarus said, with the hero in green standing over him.<p>

"Well you didn't make it easy for me, it took me awhile to figure out that you had hidden the items I needed OUTSIDE of the dungeons." Link said.

"Yes," Lazarus said, "then you had to ruin everything by just pulling them out of your subspace pocket," he frowned, "that was surprisingly unsporting of you."

"Well it was getting kind of boring after the hundredth dungeon, and four out of five of them were red-herrings." Link responded.

"Enough of this, I'm just going to activate the castle's new self-destruct system." Lazarus said.

"Please, like that will stop me." Link scoffed.

"I think it will," Lazarus responded, a wolfish grin on his face, "as you may have heard, my world has a form of highly mutagenic ooze which makes living creatures it comes in contact with stronger, tougher, and much more aggressive. What do you think happens when it floods the countryside and comes in contact with the flock of Cuccos at Lon-Lon Ranch?"

"You wouldn't." Link said, horrified.

"I'm Lawful _Evil_ kid," Lazarus said, "try me."

* * *

><p>22.9<p>

* * *

><p>Link blinked as he watched Malon rolling her fat Cucco pet around the yard of her ranch.<p>

"What are you doing?"

Malon looked up with a brilliant smile. "Cuccotari Damacy!"

Link nodded woodenly as he watched her roll the Cucco over a couple of jars, which vanished into its feathers, leaving the Cucco slightly larger than before. He then pulled a magic railgun out of his Pocket, loaded an Ender Pearl into it, and took aim at the Moon that was barely visible lowering to the horizon. So much nope.

* * *

><p>The Most Round Pudgiest watched, beady eyes glimmering, as the Tall Green One vanished. It thought to escape. That was an affront that could not be allowed, the Pudgiest mused as it accepted several stones into itself. None could escape, all would become one with the Pudge.<p>

The dark, amused laughter echoed in the mind of the Pudgiest, matched by the cheerful giggles of its servant as she offered up a field of flowers to its rotund might.

* * *

><p>22.10 (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>"No," Link said, cutting Malon off.<p>

"But..." Malon tried to say before getting interrupted.

"No, you are NOT creating a hybrid of Cucco and Chocobo, Malon." This was met by a look of shock from Cloud. "Yes, she was going to pull that off. If I had a choice between a cross between the Cucco and the Chocobo or a Ford Pinto, the Pinto is the safer option!"

That prompted a look of disbelief from the two.

"Don't Pintos go up in flames when misused?" Cloud asked him.

"Yeah, but it's either being set on fire or being pecked to death by an influx of parked mounts."

Cloud flinched. "Point taken," he said. "No, I'm not donating my Chocobo to the Lon Lon Ranch."

Malon groaned as she stalked off.

* * *

><p>22.11 (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Rarity decided to change her hairstyle this loop, and went to a particularly amazing barber that recently moved into Ponyville.<p>

As she went in, the stallion inside looked up at the mare and smiled.

"Ah, Rarity, another one of my favorite customers. What do you want today?"

"Surprise me." Rarity said.

Ganondorf's smile slightly faltered at those words.

"Very well, are you sure?"

"Of course, you're one of the most talented, well respected..."

* * *

><p>"I LOVE THIS!"<p>

Ganondorf smirked. It was difficult, but a wavy hair style with light blue highlights for contrast definitely proved that he had earned his license for cosmetology.

* * *

><p>22.12 (Dr. Tempo)<p>

* * *

><p>Link sighed. Yet another Ocarina of Time Loop. He was used to these for ages now, but there was a new thing occurring this time; namely, an apprentice of Impa was asked to join him in his quest. He couldn't tell who it was, or if it was a Looper, as this apprentice was wearing standard ninja gear.<p>

But, as he walked off after meeting Darunia to pay a visit to Saria, said companion removed an ocarina, and played a familiar tune, which sent Darunia into his dance. That meant...

"Saria?" Removing her mask, Link's guess was proven right, and the Ping she sent out confirmed it.

"Saria...you're here...But I saw you in Kokiri Forest, and Impa said you'd been training with her for months. So how..."

Saria chuckled. "I used a clone jutsu."

Link facepalmed. "Naruto Loop, huh?"

Saria smiled. "Uh-huh. I was Saria Senju there."

Link knew that name. "That means..."

Saria summoned a large tree. "Yep. A good fit to me being the Forest Sage. Had the bad luck to have Ganondorf as my sensei. He was a harsh teacher, but my skills improved quickly. So, I believe we have a cavern to clear out?"

Link nodded. "We do. Hope you can keep up."

Saria cracked her knuckles. "After what I had to deal with, this will be easy!"

* * *

><p>22.5 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>'The one good thing about this is that it probably can't put on another mask,' Zelda mused to herself as she sidestepped a massive fireball. The Fierce Deity laughed, as more flame spilled out from the Fire Rod in his hands, before twisting into a large dragon's head of flame. The fire raced around Zelda, forming a tight spiral, which she quickly broke with a burst of Naryu's Love.<p>

"Hahaha! Still you cling to my 'sisters' skirts. Are you not strong enough to stand on your own, Zelda?! Or is it Hylia? Tetra? Do you even know?" The Fierce Deity laughed, pulling out a harp that Zelda recognized as the Harp of Ages. Quickly whispering an apology to Link, Zelda pulled in the light magic she possessed and shaped it into the Abolish spell she had learned as a Planeswalker. In a flash, the harp shattered in the Fierce Deity's hand.

"Hoo, you recognize the power. Trapped in these Loops, and you simply going along with it. You could break free, crush your enemies under your heels, and you play along like good little dogs. Huhuhuhu, it is so...pathetic." He crooned out the last word, followed with a wave of his hands. Plumes of smoke flashed out in front of him, and a horde of Cuccos swarmed out, diving towards Zelda with murder in their eyes.

Zelda leapt back, flinging out a wave of Magic Powder from her Pocket, and the Cuccos let out loud squawks as they burned up. Firming up, Zelda set her stance, and let loose.

Dark purple Phantom Armor formed around her, encasing her in its depths, while behind her, bright white wings flared into incandescent existence from her time as Castiel. In her left hand, the Sol Blade shifted into existence, while in her left, Poseidon's trident appeared, given as a gift at the end of one Loop in Camp Half-Blood. The Fierce Deity barely had time to blink before Zelda appeared in front of him and attacked.

In Clock Town, the citizens ran, screaming, as above their heads, the Moon twisted and bucked. Then, the face shifted, almost like a scream, before a large flare of light blasted out of the side. Streams of golden fire and azure waters crisscrossed from out of the hole, tracking onto a single figure.

High above Termina, The Fierce Deity swung his blade to disrupt the elemental attacks Zelda was sending towards him. "Yes, yes! Come at me with your hatred, I will show you despair! Let me grind you down and show you just how futile your resistance is!"

In a flare of light, Zelda was in front of him, a shining blade clutched in her hands. Bring it around in a wide swing, Zelda shouted it's name to the heavens.

"EXCALIBUR!"

The Fierce Deity met the arc with a swing of his own, bringing the Helix Blade and one of Link's many inanimate Master Swords around in an large X shape, flinging out a pair of brilliant lights. The two attacks met...and then Zelda's wiped the Fierce Deity's away. The Deity barely had time to scream before white light engulfed him.

Zelda panted. It was as she suspected. The Fierce Deity wasn't as strong as Link should be. It had its power, certainly, but Link should have been able to stalemate Excalibur, or at least would have thought to use an Ender Pearl to dodge. The Fierce Deity was likely battling Link for control, which meant if she could hit him hard enough, she could break whatever hold it had on Link.

She hoped…

* * *

><p>22.1 - In Which Ganondorf is a Barber<p>

22.2 - In Which Nothing of Import Happens At All

22.3 - In Which Drink Ideas Are Exchanged

22.4 - In Which Ruto Has a (Reluctant) Father

22.5 - In Which A Deity Breaks Free

22.6 - In Which Ganondorf is a Restaurant Owner

22.7 - In Which a Cucco is Fat

22.8 - In Which An Overlord Make Threats

22.9 - In Which a Fat Cucco Is Dangerous

22.10 - In Which Link Puts His Foot Down

22.11 - In Which Ganondorf is Still A Barber

22.12 - In Which Saria proves her Ninja Skills

22.5 cont. - In Which Zelda Fights a Deity


	23. Chapter 23

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: Messing With Villains

Disclaimer: I own neither the heros, villains, oddballs, or neutral parties shown within these Loops. I also don't own most of the other stuff, though every thirty-second 'Q' is decidedly mine.

* * *

><p>23.1<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke while fiddling with a small device. Before he had time to actually recognize whatever he was messing with, he received a sharp elbow to the ribs. Jumping, he glanced over to see Zelda, who was sitting next to him on a simple metal bench in what looked to be a sports arena. Link quickly sent out a Ping, but Zelda's face showed no recognition. He got a couple of responses, but they felt somewhat distant.<p>

Evidently, Link hadn't given Zelda the response she was looking for. She was staring at him, and when he didn't immediately respond, she nodded her head towards the center of the arena. "Well, hurry up. You're up, and we can't afford to have you daydreaming."

Link nodded mutely and stood, walking towards the platform he could see at the edge of a large circular pit. A teenager Link didn't recognize was already waiting on the other side, and Link quickly reached for his Loop memories to have some idea about what the heck he was supposed to be doing. While doing so, he examined the small object he was holding, hoping it would give him some sort of clue.

It was a top. It was made of several stacked bits of metal, with a small picture of a pig in the center. 'Beyblade', his mind supplied, and gradually his memories unfolded. He was competing in a tournament using this small top to battle other people. The tops were powered by ancient spirits or something, and the goal was to knock them out of the ring or stop them from spinning.

Reaching the platform, Link hastily pulled his Launcher out of his pocket and attached his Beyblade to it. As he did so, he got a bit of a closer look, and suddenly recognized the beast that was marked on the center of his Beyblade. Link grinned, as one of the more muffled pings suddenly made sense. Dropping into a stance that was both familiar and odd, Link waited for the announcers call, then pulled his ripcord to start the Beyblade spinning. As the Gerudo Boar Beyblade shot into the arena, Link heard a faint, almost telepathic voice screaming.

'Iiii haaate yoooouu, heeeeroooo!'

* * *

><p>23.2 (OathtoOblivion)<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, this meeting of Looping Bad Guys Anonymous (AKA Looping BadAnon) will hereby come to order!" Wreck-It Ralph declared. "I'm Ralph, and I'll be your host for this Loop. Okay, we're going to do a roll call real quick. Just note the fact that you're here, okay?" he asked, picking up a clipboard sized for his massive 8-bit hands.<p>

"Okay...Bowser?"

"Gwa ha ha! As if I wouldn't be here!"

"Yeah yeah...Ganondorf?"

"Hmph. Of course I'm here!"

"Dedede?"

"Hey, does the penguin even count?" Bowser questioned, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the now-irate King of Dreamland.

"HOW MANY TIMES?! NOT A PENGUIN!"

"Then what are you anyway?" Marx snickered next to Dedede.

"Guys, focus. Okay, Marx is here. Vilgax?"

"Present."

"Benedict?"

"Would it kill you to use my title?"

"Yeah, okay, fine, "Father". Mr. Xanatos?"

"Present, of course."

"Vaati?"

"..." The silence echoed throughout Ralph's house in the Fix-It Felix Jr. cabinet. Ralph looked up from the checklist to where Vaati was supposed to be sitting. Emphasis on "supposed to" because the Wind Mage was nowhere to be seen.

"Okay, can someone tell me where Vaati is?"

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, in Sugar Rush...<em>

"GET BACK HERE, YOU SUGARY CRETIN! RETURN MY CAPE THIS INSTANT!"

"Why the fudge would I want to do that?!" Vanellope tossed back at the irate Wind Mage, zipping off in her kart the instant she got near it. Vaati steamed, enough that the sweets that made up Sugar Rush's level design started melting.

"HEAR THIS, VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" he yelled at the retreating princess/president of Sugar Rush.

"Wow, you really _are_ a Bad Guy with a line like that!" Vanellope's voice was faintly hear saying. Vaati gritted his teeth, immediately transforming into his Demon Eye form and racing after her.

* * *

><p>23.3 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>"Link, you don't even know if he's in there."<p>

The teen looked at Navi with a bored expression, "For the last time, It's Jack O'Neill, two 'L's. Call me Jack. And let me be the cynic, alright? Even if he's not, depriving him of his base of operations is always a good idea."

With an application of chakra, 8 more Jack O'Neills appeared, shapeshifted into various members of the Stargate Program and began setting up an M-198 Howitzer. The original just turned to the fairy and smirked, "Besides, the castle is an eyesore. Who builds a castle over a volcano in this day and age? Everyone knows the latest supervillain trend is to build over a vast ocean. I'm doing Ganon a favor, really."

Navi rolled her eyes. Did this guy replacing Link take anything seriously? One of the O'Neill clones who shapeshifted to take the form of a dark skinned warrior with a golden seal on his forehead stepped away from the weapon and addressed the two, "Colonel O'Neill, we're set to rain hell upon our enemies."

O'Neill rolled his eyes and patted the clone on the shoulder, "You've got a real talent for playing Teal'c, clone...whichever. But still, you can loosen up a bit, OK? You're laying it on a bit thick."

The clone gave a small bow and returned to his place, which made O'Neill sigh, "Clones, right Navy? You create them, raise them and send them out into the world, and they come back something completely different."

"It's Navi, _Link._"

O'Neill shrugged, "Call me Jack, and I'll return the favor."

The gathered O'Neills came to attention in a neat line in front of their creator. O'Neill waved at them. "At ease. I'm not one for speeches, as you know, so I'll have Clone Hammond send us off."

Clone Hammond and O'Neill Prime switched places. The robust commander nodded. "Gentleclones, godspeed."

With that, the bombardment commenced. The first round hit the room at the tallest point of the tower. Though the round missed Ganon, the room itself did not survive the attack. Rubble collapsed on top of the Evil King of Hyrule, crushing him beneath the rubble. The bombardment didn't let up as it tore through wall after wall, causing more and more of the castle to crumble. Within 30 minutes, the Castle was little more than rubble. The cannon was then turned on the floating island itself. The bombardment didn't cease until the only thing that remained was a mound of dirt, melting into the active volcano below. Then, after a five minute coffee break, the bombardment resumed just to be extra safe until O'Neill finally exhausted his supply of artillery shells.

* * *

><p>23.4 (Bardic_Knowledge)<p>

* * *

><p>Nissa Revane Awoke to a dream.<p>

She stood before what appeared to be a castle wall, something she'd never truly seen in baseline, but knew from her travels with Gideon and Chandra Nalaar. A fairy floated around her as the drawbridge fell, showing her a town inside the walls, when a horse went speeding by, carrying two people, though she only caught sight of the young girl's face before they were gone. They were followed by a tall man on a black horse, what appeared to be a yellow gem on his forehead. He grinned maliciously and aimed his hand her way, obviously about to cast some sort of spell. Just as she was about to move to defend herself-

"Hello! Nissa! Wake up!"

Nissa jerked awake at the voice, and looked around. She paused momentarily at seeing that she wasn't home, before remembering what she was told about Fused Loops. That must also be why she felt so... short.

A tinkling laugh came from just over her head. "Are we Awake?" asked the voice that had awoken her.

Nissa glanced up to see a fairy hovering before her. "I don't know," she answered. "Are we, a fairy?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I am! My name is Navi. The Great Deku Tree sent me to find you." Navi lit on Nissa's shoulder.

"Just give me a moment, I'm feeling a bit Loopy after that-"

"So you ARE a Looper! Okay, you had me kind of worried there!" said Navi.

Nissa frowned a moment from being spoken over, but nodded. "Sorry, Gideon and Chandra, two of the others from my Loop, were showing me some movies last Loop. I guess they stuck with me a bit." The smile that had grown on her face slipped a little. "Sometimes I wish the Joraga Tribe were a little less intolerant of the arts."

Navi giggled. "Well, you won't have to worry about that this Loop! You get to play magic music!"

"That does sound nice. So, what's on the agenda-" Nissa paused as a ping passed through the area. She and Navi took a moment to release their own, but felt no other replies. "-on the agenda this Loop?"

"Well, depending on who that just was, we're either going to have an easy time of it, or a rough time of it. If it was Zelda, then she'll be helping us out with our adventure, especially when we get to the future, but if it was Ganondorf, he's probably going to make things rough on us. Though, it could be Saria..."

Nissa looked at the fairy quizzically. "The future?"

"Yeah, there's a bit of a time travel thing at one point, but there's no reason to worry about it right now. Unless you don't want to go baseline?"

"I think it might be interesting, actually."

"Then follow me! The Great Deku Tree's waiting!"

* * *

><p>As the two left, they met with Saria, who was not Awake, but was happy to see Nissa had a fairy (something she apparently lacked before Navi), but let them go on hearing their mission. Before actually going to meet with the Tree, however, Navi took her to a few places where she could get some jewels called "Rupees" that were apparently the currency around here, then to buy a shield. After that, they retrieved a sword, which Nissa felt rather uncomfortable with, having never used one before. She had no need to draw it, however, when the whole reason they had gone on the quest, Milo, just let them by on seeing the sword and shield.<p>

After encountering her first Deku Baba, Nissa took the deku stick it dropped and smiled. Drawing on the wellspring of Green Mana inundating the Kokiri Forest, she infused the stick with it, making into an extremely sturdy staff covered in leaf patterns. She was much more comfortable with this. Navi was rather curious about what she did and did her best to explain.

In her home Loop, she was an elf of the Joraga Tribe of the plane of Zendikar, and, like most elves of her Loop, she was talented in the area of Green Mana, the colour of nature, life, growth, strength, and symbiosis. She had dabbled in the use of Black Mana, the colour of self, death, darkness, decay, and ambition, but didn't use it very often. In her baseline, she made a grievous mistake and released a powerful group of monsters that sought to devour her home. So she fought against them, infusing the land with mana in an attempt to keep it alive. Eventually, she had to go and seek out the man who had helped seal away the Eldrazi in the first place. Now that she was Looping, she was determined to be a proper hero.

They'd had to pause just out of sight of the Great Deku Tree for Nissa to finish her story, but they turned to continue, and the Tree bade them enter to defeat a parasite that had infested him. As they went through the tree, Navi walked Nissa through how Hyrule worked, particularly this era, and told her about their Anchor, the Triforce, a living artifact. Nissa found that she was almost forced to use her shield to stop certain attacks, and eventually settled into using her staff more like a spear. When Navi asked her why she didn't just use the Kokiri Sword, Nissa replied that she didn't much care for swords.

Defeating Gohma, the parasite that had infected the Tree, was easier than either fairy or elf expected, particularly since this was Nissa's first Fused Loop.

* * *

><p>23.5<p>

* * *

><p>Saria shivered slightly, before mentally reminding herself that she wasn't actually cold, even though she really should be. However, the soft down she had this Loop was keeping her nice and warm.<p>

"C'mon, Saria, we're going to lose Uncle Ramon."

"I'm coming, Erik." Saria shifted her weight as she waddled after the other two baby pergwens...peljins...penguins, that was it. Penguins. The two other penguins were her Unawake self's best friends, Erik and Atticus, and neither of them were Looping. She had Awoken while shuffling through the snow after them, apparently following another penguin, Ramon, to...somewhere. Her memories were fuzzy on the details, and she was still feeling very off balance because there were _no trees_. None, anywhere. Just fields of white snow, stretching on to the horizon. For a Sage of the Forest like her, it was very disconcerting. Still, the Heartsong that sprang to her memory was helping her endure by humming. Softly, as she climbed over the next snow drift, she began to sing quietly to herself.

"I see trees of green, and red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself..."

* * *

><p>"Will! Where do you think you're going?!"<p>

Will, a small, but determined little krill, swam as quickly as his tiny feet could carry him against the flow of the Swarm. He pushed forward, barely glancing over his shoulder at his friend, Bill. "I'm going to find it, Bill. The end of the swarm. I know it's out there, somewhere."

"You're crazy. Tell him he's crazy, Nill!" Bill rubbed his feet awkwardly as he followed Will, wincing as the other krill swam past.

"I don't know if he is crazy or not, but I am sick and tired of Looping in as small things! I mean, Fused Loops are supposed to give me a break, but no! Every single time, if I'm not the local Fairy equivalent, I'm a bug, or a dust bunny, or a Lilliputtian, or..."

"A krill?" Bill offered.

"Or a krill!" Nill, or Navi, as she was usually known, finished with a growl, her little feet stirring up much bigger currents than they should as she viciously plowed her way through the swarm next to Will and Bill. With a glance at each other, the two krill quickly gave their mutual friend a bit more room.

* * *

><p>Saria huffed as she made her way back across the snow. First they hiked to Adelie-land and met a flying penguin, then Erik's dad showed up to haul them home (Saria thought he might be a Looper, as he called her Bodicea on accident a couple of times). They had encountered this massive Elephant Seal, and just when she was getting ready to see how well she could use chakra in this body, Erik's dad managed to talk the Seal down. They finally arrived back at Emperor-Land (how was that for melodramatic names?), only to find the whole place was trapped by an iceberg. Erik's dad hadn't seemed too worried, but he had sent her back to get the penguins from Adelie-land to come help them feed the other trapped penguins. So now, she was hauling herself across the snowy tundra for a third time.<p>

"Hold on." She huffed, and then she worked on accessing her Pocket. It was awkward, because she was only about the size of her regular self's hand, but that was perfect for what she had in mind. She pulled a small Deku Leaf out of her pocket and rested it onto the snow in front of her. She then flopped her body on top of the leaf.

"Now, if I just push the magic like this, and try to add a bit of slippery chakra to the bottom. Whoa!" Saria had to grab hold of the stem of the leaf with her beak as the entire thing shot forward like a horse-drawn sled, wind gust away from the rear-edge of the leaf. The snow whipped by underneath her as Saria fought down the urge to laugh, as doing so would require her to let go of her grip on the leaf.

* * *

><p>"Hey, they're doing it again!"<p>

"What?"

"This!" Bill watched avidly as Will began tapping upside down on the ice with his feet.

"Whoa, what is that?"

"It's called dancing!"

"What's it for?"

"Maybe it's to provide a momentary relief from the existential terrors of existence."

"What?"

"It brings out my happy!"

Navi shook her head as she watched the two of them clown around, and the other krill slowly started to join in. It had been rather difficult, protecting them from Will's near suicidal drive to "become a predator", but she had managed.

'_Navi, are you still there?_'. Saria's mental voice shook Navi out of her wool-gathering.

'Yes, I'm here. Sorry, I just got distracted. Will and Bill started dancing.'

A feeling of laughter echoed over the telepathic link Navi had managed to establish. '_That's funny. I think this Loop might be built on dancing, because we are doing it up here too.'_

Navi frowned, tilting her head. 'I think I can actually hear it. The ice above us is vibrating in a constant pattern. I think Will and Bill are actually trying to match it with the other shrimp...krill, whatever.'

'_Every little bit helps, I guess. We are trying to use it to break up the iceberg that trapped the penguins.'_

'What? Why didn't you mention this earlier, I could help.'

'_How? You're a tiny krill under the ocean, remember?'_

Navi was silent for several moments. 'I'm tiny most Loops, but does that stop me?'

'_...No.'_

'Darn right, now stand back.'

* * *

><p>High above, Saria stumbled a bit from where she had been dancing next to one of the elephant seals, sending pulses of chakra into the ice and snow with each footbeat. 'Step back? Wha?'<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the ocean, Navi began to rotate, the water spiraling around her like a drill. Bill was the first to notice, quickly tapping Will on the exoskeleton and pointing. "Look, Nill's doing the crazy water-death-attack again!"<p>

Will stumbled, glancing up, then shouted. "Scatter!" He and Bill still remembered just what that had done to that fish that had been chasing them...and the leopard seal behind the fish...and the iceberg behind the leopard seal...

The krill swarm quickly swam away from the ice block, and Navi, seeing the opening, dove straight up, burrowing into the ice, at the same time as she pulled on the Force.

'Lifesigns there, and there, and clustered over there. Right, so those are the dancers, and those are the penguins, and that is...a Yeti? Weird, but it is in the distance, so whatever. Right, cutting here!'

* * *

><p>Saria blinked as a loud crack was heard, and a blast of ice and water suddenly ripped out from the side of the iceberg, causing her footing to sink a bit. 'Oh dear. That's why she said stand back.' Saria switched from pulsing her chakra to break the ice to sticking to it for safety.<p>

THOOM!

A dozen cracks, many suspiciously straight and even, slashed out of the sides of the iceberg, leading to large chunks sliding down on waves of snow, forming a near perfect ramp up to the top. The penguins and elephant seals alike cheered, while unnoticed by all, a single krill flopped her way into a small puddle. 'Now I just need to get back down into the ocean.'

* * *

><p>Back in the ocean, Bill and Will stared at the carved hole which Nill had disappeared into. Large chunks of ice periodically drifted down out of the hole, before floating back up to bump into the ceiling. Bill turned to Will.<p>

"I guess Nill isn't a fan of dancing."

* * *

><p>23.6<p>

* * *

><p>Midna scowled as she Awoke, before grinning slightly at the feeling of still being in an adult body. If only that Loop could have lasted a little longer, she was so close to getting some actually romantic action. Being stuck as an imp really dampened her dating prospects.<p>

Glancing around, Midna concluded that she was in her throne room in the Twilight Realm, and given the bundle of hate and darkness that she could feel making a beeline towards her, it was just before Zant usurped her rightful throne. This was a relief, as most of her Loops started right _after _Zant cursed her, and while she had amassed enough resources and power to break the curse on her own, it was always extremely tedious to do so, so getting the chance to be proactive was very welcome.

The doors of the Throne Room burst open as Zant sauntered into the room. Honestly, it always made her feel a bit pathetic that she was taken down by a man who acted so much like a court jester. Still, that would not be occurring this time.

"Surrender, or don't. Heeheehee, either way, I'm taking what is mine!" Zant giggled as he spun around, his head bobbing wildly as shadowy power rolled off of him.

"Taking what is yours, hmm. Well, I have a little something to say on that matter." Midna laughed softly as she stepped forward and began to hum a simple melody. This was as good a time as any to try out her newest ability in a battle setting, and if not, she always had her other tricks to fall back on. Standing straight in front of the King of Shadows, Midna began to sing.

**~Shadows, dim and grow~**

**~With your power bind~**

**~Gather every curse~**

**~Claim what shall be mine~**

As she sung, her red hair began to darken, shadows twisting within it as is flowed down, pooling around her in a mass of curling tendrils. Zant twitched, then hurled his arms up, gathering dark energy before throwing a sphere of shadows straight at her. As it came within 10 meters of her, a lock of her hair and shadow snapped up, coiling around the projectile, and drained it away. Midna smirked, and then sang the second verse as her hair leapt forward.

**~My dominance assert~**

**~Rewrite the fates' design~**

**~Extract my vengeance cost~**

**~Claim what shall be mine~**

**~What shall be mine~**

Tendrils of shadow and hair twisted in knots around a bound and struggling Zant, his power draining away and into Midna. During her time as Rapunzel last loop, she had gained the standard, hair-based healing powers. However, given her nature, she wasn't really all that comfortable with light-based magics, and the healing of the Magical Golden Flower of the Sun was certainly light-based. So, she had tried inverting it, using similar words as a structure for the power.

It had worked better than she could have hoped. Whereas Rapunzel's healing strengthened and empowered those affected by it, her Shadow Binding weakened and drained them. Some of the power went to her, while some of it was simply dispersed away into shadow.

Either way, it was a matter of minutes before Zant was reduced to an unconscious heap. Ganondorf, Awake or not, was far too jealous of his power to lend out much of it, so it was simple for a Looper of her experience to drain it away. Once Zant collapsed, Midna ceased feeding power to the Shadow Binding, and used her typical hair control to lift and carry Zant behind her, taking him down to the dungeons. Several of her guards lay moaning from where Zant had knocked them aside, but they did their best to salute as she passed, and she smiled lightly at them. It wasn't their fault they weren't able to handle one overpowered opponent.

* * *

><p>Midna brushed her hands as she locked the cell behind her, despite not have used them for much of anything since Awakening. Now that all of that was wrapped up, she would see about ensuring Ganondorf didn't corrupt any of her other subjects, maybe arrange for a rematch of their last tennis match if he was Awake, and then see about visiting Zelda. Midna paused at one of the mirrors set along the side of the corridor, to ensure that her hair was all back to the proper length, then froze.<p>

"Oh, not cool."

* * *

><p>Zelda jumped slightly as a cloud of shadow swirled in front of her, quickly drawing her sword to defend herself, before the darkness coalesced into a familiar figure.<p>

"Oh, Midna. You startled me. So you handled Zant then?"

Midna nodded, her voice light. "Indeed. It was quite simple, and I believe Ganondorf is Awake, as I found no sign of him on my way out." She broke off and muttered something under her breath which Zelda didn't catch, due to both the low volume and the new fashion accessory she was wearing.

"Midna, why do you have a veil over your mouth? Do the Twili have a new fashion custom this Loop?" Zelda's voice was somewhat eager, as, despite not being quite as fashion and clothing obsessed as some, she still liked to try new fashions, and having handy disguises was always useful.

"Not quite." Midna was definitely reluctant, but she finally reached up and pulled the veil down to reveal her face. Zelda immediately had to stifle her giggles, with Midna's disgruntled expression doing little to help quell her amusement. Reaching up, Midna rubbed her nose, which was unmistakably pointed up into a pig snout, and ran her tongue across the two small, but still prominent tusks that extended up from her lower jaw.

"It seems that Ganondorf attempted to influence my cursed form this Loop, and that some of the curse bled through my method of taking down Zant." Midna frowned, resisting the urge to snort, while idly spearing one of her hair strands through the lens of the camera Zelda had surreptitiously pulled out of her Pocket.

* * *

><p>23.7 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>Link looked at the unconscious form of Talon, once again sleeping just outside the waterway. Link gave him a half lidded glance in annoyance. He had just come off a loop where he was abusive father to Malon in the hub world. Of course, he had ended the problem fairly quickly, but his annoyance still carried over into this new loop. So he decided to rid it in the most peaceful way possible. He put his foot on his overweight midsection, and give a very firm push, right into the moat surrounding Hyrule Castle.<p>

Seconds later, the older man was splashing and shouting, "Can't a...*blub*...guy get some shut...*cough*...eye around here?"

* * *

><p>23.8 (Kishou the Badger)<p>

* * *

><p>In a village by the outskirts of Hyrule, there was a farm. A farm run by Malon, whose father prided himself on the most delicious Moo Moo Milk people can by. It was also the home of Epona, the noble steed of the Hero of Time.<p>

But more importantly, in this particular loop, it was assisted by Rolf, son of a shepherd who took care of the other barn animals as well as the cows. Wilfred the pig, Victor the goat... and cuccos. Hordes and hordes of cuccos.

The first time he tried being rough with the cuccos was... educational, to say the least. But he survived and had since then herd them under his command and call, which was a first for any successful cucco farmer (at least in this particular loop). He was just getting a bag of seeds to feed them when he heard three (unfortunately) familiar voices greet him.

"Hello, Rolf!"

Rolf looked over his shoulders and felt his spirits drop. "Oh, hello Ed-boys."

The Eds too were looped into this timeline, and dressed fittingly like villagers from down the road. Eddy, the ever money-seeking fool, smirked as he unrolled a poster. "We heard there was a position opening for assistant farm hand, so we were just thinking we could lend one. Ed's, that is."

"That position has since then been taken," Rolf said. "Besides, Rolf hasn't forgotten the _last_ time Rolf hired you Ed boys to help at Rolf's farm."

"Ah come on, that episode was twenty years ago!"

"Thirteen, Eddy," Double D corrected.

"To put it simply, you were, and still are, a nincompoop, and I wouldn't trust you anywhere near Miss Malon's cows, let alone her cuccos."

"Cuccos? Oh, you mean the-"

"CHICKEEEEEEEEEN!" Ed cried in bliss, ready to charge and hug the white birds-

Until Rolf's extended foot tripped him as he fell face flat to the dirt ground. "So sorry tall Ed-boy, but even if you were once my turkey-eye, the mere cucco is much too dangerous for the likes of yourself."

Eddy shrugged nonchalantly. "What's so different about a flightless bird, anyway? Ed's a natural at chicken rounding." He pulled up Ed's head and patted it, who started salivating like an eager dog.

"I warn you Ed boys," Rolf said seriously. "The cucco is not to be trifled with."

"Then let us help you," Eddy smirked. "For just 25, uh, well..." he turned to Double D with an unasked question.

"Rupees, Eddy."

"For just 25 rupees, we can give you the day off and round your Hylurian chickens! Whaddya say?"

Rolf opened his mouth to shoot down Eddy's insane offer, but stopped. He looked back to the cuccos, acting innocent and stupid like regular grazing chickens. Then he turned back to the Eds, seemingly eager for what appears to be an easy scam. "You... want to help with the cuccos?"

"Am I speaking French here?!"

"Pet the chicken, pet the chicken, pet the chicken, pet the chicken-"

Rolf thought for another moment, and then smiled. "Let Rolf do your petty offer one better, short-stop Ed-boy," he replied. "Rolf will be willing to part with all of Rolf's life savings since starting at Moo Moo Farm-"

At this, he pulled out a hefty chest from behind his back and opened it, revealing a treasure trove of Rupees of every color. Green, Blue, Red, Purple, Gold, and even large green ones that were slated every so casually in the sea of gems. All of the Ed's faces glowed at what was the best site they've seen since Kevin's garage full of Jawbreakers.

"JAWBREAKER CITY, HERE I COME!" Eddy squealed, his hands reached in to scoop as many Rupees as he could.

Only for the chest to slam not so gently on his arms before he could take a single one out. With a yelp, Eddy plucked his hands out of the slim space of the chest to reveal his hands horribly and comically dented to look like the top outline of the chest.

"Rolf wasn't finished~!" the shepherd sang teasingly, much to Eddy's chagrin. "Rolf will part with chest of hard earning Rupees... if Ed-boys can successfully manage the round-up of cuccos for the rest of the day without Rolf's help."

The Eds exchanged confused glances, before turning to the still smiling farmer. "That's it?" Eddy asked.

"That's it," Rolf nodded. "Oh, and if you fail this trial, you are forced to work under Rolf's wing, for _free_, for the rest of the loop. Deal?"

Normally, someone would wise up at a deceptively easy goal and what might turn out to be a deviously evil prank. But Eddy had seen and touched a vast amount of wealth for a few seconds. He was mystified and enamored by the thought of even having that much money. So before anyone (especially Double D) could say anything else that would change his mind, he struck his hand out with a triumphant smile. "SOLD!"

"But Eddy-!"

"Ed, you big lug: round up the chickens!"

"FINALLY!" the large boy jumped and cheered before bolting at inhuman speeds to glomp his favorite animals. The cuccos took one second to stare up the charging chicken lover before squawking and flapping away as hard as they could. Ed missed his intended target, jumping on a patch of empty dirt, but recovered quickly before laughing and running in his default posture towards the running cuccos. Double D called out his name and hurried after him, having a sinking feeling something would go wrong.

"Heheheh, sucker," Eddy and Rolf both smirked to themselves as they left in opposite directions.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, the hero Link and his fairy companion Navi arrived to buy some milk, which would gave him and Rolf time to get acquainted. Or it was supposed to, for when Malon brought Link over to Rolf's side of the farm, they saw him leaning back against the fence with a smug grin watching... what could be best described as a tidal wave of cuccos crashing on three screaming idiots.<p>

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"NOT CHICKEN! NOT CHICKEN! NOT CHICKEN!"

"OH LORD IT'S IN MY HAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

"ROLF! HELP US!"

"Ooh? Does Ed-boy mean to revoke his bet and forfeit?"

"YES! I GIVE I GIVE! JUST STOP THIS CHICKEN MADNESS ALREADY!"

"Aaaaah, music to Rolf's ears," the shepherd smiled. He casually took a glass of Moo Moo Milk, guzzled it down and set it down after finishing it. A few seconds later, his calm smiling demeanor changed to a rapid screaming warrior suddenly brandishing a shovel. "FACE THE WRATH OF THE SON OF A SHEPHERD, YOU BIRDS OF PREY!"

Malon, Link, and Navi watched in stunned silence as he charged through the fray, single-handedly fighting back a literal wave of cuccos that had more often than not killed a foolish looper or two. Though it was by no means a decisive turnabout, it was more of an even match between two scary forces... which was rare in itself.

"Why don't we try sending _him_ after Ganondorf this loop?" Navi suggested.

* * *

><p>23.9 (Thanatos' Scribe)<p>

* * *

><p>Link blinked as he Awoke, in both senses of the term, from a voice calling him to get up.<p>

"Hello, hello?"

Link stiffened as he heard the voice speak before sitting straight up, his eyes snapping open in fear of an Unawake animatronic about to attack him. However, any thoughts of him being at Freddy's Pizzeria were instantly dispelled, as he instead found himself sitting in his bed in Kokiri Village._Perhaps it was just a dream?,_ He thought, then shook his head. No, it had been a while since he had Awoken in any of the Fazbear Loops, so why would he be think of the Phone Guy now?

"Um, hello?"

Link stiffened once more as he heard the voice again, before slowly looking up. Where he would have usually seen Na'vi alight in a blue aura, he instead saw a light-purple fairy staying near the ceiling.

"Hey, if you're Awake, we better get going," the fairy continued, "You don't want to get thrown in a Loop when we, y'know, go to see the Great Deku Tree. He really needs to see you." After a few seconds of Link not replying passed before the fairy began to panic, saying to himself, "That _was _the proper phrasing, wasn't it? I hope I didn't-"

"Phone Guy?!" Link asked incredulously, and the Awake fairy stiffened before relaxing, turning to the other Looper.

"Oh, so you're Awake?" The now-named Phone Guy said, "That's a relief."

"But, when did you begin Looping?" Link asked.

"It was rather recent. Only about 4 to 5 Loops ago. Or at least, that's what I counted it out to be," Phone Guy said, before flying out the window. "Now c'mon!" He shouted back to Link, "You coming or not?" Link looked at the airborne Looper before nodding and running out of the door. This would certainly be a Loop to remember…

* * *

><p>23.10 (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Link put on a pair of goggles and then a pair of earplugs.<p>

"Link, what are you doing?" Navi asked.

"As much as Malon's a crazy person, I cannot ignore the fact that the Hylian Shield is absurdly strong, so we're going up gradually to see _how_ strong it actually is."

"That explains the revolver."

"Yeah. You have no idea how hard it was to find a left handed model."

"Can you even use it?"

"I've been to firearms loops. I can manage." Link cocked the hammer.

"By the way, cover your ears."

Navi did so.

*BANG*

The bullet deflected off of the shield and hit a cucco.

It cawed.

Link quickly turned away and sprinted away.

"Oh... FuuuuuaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

* * *

><p>22.5 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda landed heavily on the a hillock in Termina Field, panting lightly with exertion. Quickly, she pulled a series of potions out of her Pocket, uncapping each with magic and draining them one after another. She sighed as she felt the magic of the potions moving through her, healing the injuries she had received and filling her magic once more. She couldn't take too many more or she would hit the point of diminished returns, but she was hoping it wouldn't come to that. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that she was going to get her hope.<p>

She turned to peer up into the sky, calling on a vision enhancement spell to see clearer, and watched as the Fierce Deity battled with the Mothership of "Them" that she had managed to trick into firing on him. Zelda still wasn't sure where "They" came from, but she wasn't sorry to see them get taken down, given what they would do to poor Romani given half a chance.

Zelda frowned as she glanced over her armor, before pushing out her magic to repair it into a full Phantom Suit. After she had hit the Fierce Deity with Excalibur, she had followed up with a barrage of magic, including Ultima, Radiant Lance, and a Dragon Slave-knockoff that Nanoha had shown her. The end result was the Fierce Deity crashing down and making a massive crater in the middle of Ikana. However, by the time Zelda had reached the edge of the crater, the Fierce Deity was already back on his feet and healing. His follow-up taunt had reminded her of what Link had been bragging about the Loop before last, about how he had set up an Pocket-based Heartflower Auto-garden, allowing him to gather and use the energy of large numbers of Heartflowers very quickly.

Heartflowers were a pretty common plant in Hyrule, and their healing powers were typically only good for minor cuts and scrapes, but Link had become very adept at wringing out as much power as he could from them, and often used them as a handy alternative to potions. And now it appeared that the Fierce Deity was reaping the benefits.

Zelda was brought out of her musings as a loud crash sounded overhead, and the Mothership vanished in a flash of light, trailing a stream of sparkles. The Fierce Deity threw out a single slash of energy after it, before twisting in midair to face down at Zelda. Zelda quickly pulled out her version of the Wind Waker as well as one of her wands as the Fierce Deity dove down towards.

Haunting music rose around her as Zelda spun the wind into a raging pillar, smashing the newly-formed tornado up into the descending Deity. After twisting the tornado to more or less trap him in place, Zelda began rapid fire casting as many spells as she could think of into the center of the tornado. She focused on energy draining spells, with multiple castings of Expelliarmus just in case. She didn't actually think the spell would succeed in disarming the Deity of its sword, or of disarm Link of the Deity's mask, but it was worth a try, at least.

The Fierce Deity ripped apart the tornado holding him with several large swipes of his sword, ignoring most of the spells peppering him, and quickly dropped down, this time arriving in front of Zelda with a crash. Zelda blocked the dirt with a flickering magical shield, and then had to dart to the side to avoid a sword strike.

"You are so cowardly, yet brave. What a hopeless contradiction!" The Fierce Deity crooned as he continued to slash at her. "Needing others to fight your battles, yet not running when you have a chance."

Zelda didn't say anything, responding instead with a high-powered Light Arrow. The Fierce Deity batted it aside with his open hand.

"Poor Zelda, can't even stand on her own two feet. Has to rely on 'the Light of the Goddesses' to even have a chance, and when she meets someone who doesn't fear her shiny thorns," The Fierce Deity chuckled as an overly large bomb appeared in his hand, "she just goes all to pieces." Zelda's eyes widened as the Fierce Deity tossed the bomb towards her. She recognized it as one of Link's 'special blends', incorporating several unstable magical matrices in it to enhance the explosive power. Suddenly, an impulsive thought struck, and Zelda quickly pulled a bug net out of her Pocket. She could only laugh as she swung the net hard, and with an odd pop, the bomb went soaring back the way it had come. The Fierce Deity's sneer of condescension dropped in favor of a look of utter shock, before the bomb detonated in his face.

Zelda orbed backwards to escape the blast, using the Whitelighter technique both for its low cost, and for the fact that she knew Link had yet to find a way to counter it. She kept her eyes peeled for more energy beams and thanked Link mentally for the dodging training he insisted she work on him with. She had gotten rather good at dodging beams fired from swords.

Zelda lifted one hand to her forehead as she felt a pressure build behind her temple, before suddenly grinning fiercely. It seemed that her reinforcements had finally arrived.

* * *

><p>The Fierce Deity scowled as he swung his blade to disperse the smoke. This princess-godling was proving much more annoying that he had expected, but he needed to crush her if he wished to be able to act freely. The Admins he had caught glimpses of in his vessel's memories would be a problem, but he had had much experience slaying gods, and it seemed his vessel had as well. This would be well-worth the effort if he could succeed.<p>

"Oh Link, what mess have you got yourself in this time?"

The Fierce Deity turned to spy one of Farore's little spawns darting around by his head. It seemed vaguely familiar to his vessel, perhaps his companion? "Begone, insect, before I swat you."

The fairy hung still for a moment, before it twitched. "I'm sorry Link, but this is going to hurt quite a bit."

"Your companion is," the Fierce Deity wasn't able to continue, as he had to duck to keep from losing his head as a massive crescent of energy swept out from the tiny fairy. The Deity caught a glimpse of metal (a tiny sword?), before the fairy struck again, darting forward and cutting out with a blade of swirling winds that was as long as the Deity was tall. The Fierce Deity brought his blade around, energy flaring off it, only for the insect to dart past his spinning beam and then dart in between the twisted blades of his sword.

"Hooah, things are gonna get easier!" The fairy began to sing as it darted past him, up and down, left and right, its tiny blade ripping out to cut long gashes in the flesh of his vessel. The healing power he had tapped continued to renew his body, but he just couldn't hit the tiny irritant. "Hoosha, things are gonna get brighter!"

"You efforts are futile. Though you may wield the winds, I shall crush you."

The small fairy buzzed derisively, "I succeeded in distracting you, didn't I?"

The Fierce Deity had only time to blink, before a massive spike of energy rose behind him. He spun, bringing his blade around, only for the fairy to dart in the way and block his sword, somehow managing to stop his swing entirely. Regardless, the Fierce Deity twisted to view the new threat.

Standing behind him, Midna, in her true form, smiled serenely, the flame of the Phoenix Shard she still wielded from her time as Rachel Summers burning around her. "Hello," her voice was calm, but carried a note of steel, "I think you have stolen something of mine. I want it back." Her words had barely reached the Fierce Deity's ears when her psychic power smashed into his mind, dragging with it the minds of both Zelda and Navi.

If they couldn't beat him down physically, they would take him out mentally.

* * *

><p>23.'Pool' (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Link knew he would be having a bad loop not five minutes into this one, simply because of one companion this adventure.<p>

"Are we there yet?" Deadpool asked for the umpteenth time.

_'Epona, help me now.' _Link thought to himself.

"Man, what kind of name is Awesomedude17? This guy sounds like a real narcissist tool, eh?"

"Shut up, Deadpool!"

* * *

><p>23.1 - This certainly puts a new spin on their relationship.<p>

23.2 - A fairly unconventional villainous convention.

23.3 - Cutting the Gordian Knot...with Explosions.

23.4 - Nissa has beaten gods, so an overgrown spider is barely a warm-up.

23.5 - The Songs of Nature echo, even in the most desolate of places. So do the Songs of Violence, but poets don't tend to write as much about those songs.

23.6 - Midnapunzel, please don't let down your hair!

23.7 - The disposition of parents in the Loops are, unfortunately, often a toss-up.

23.8 - "NOT A CHICKEN!"

23.9 - Seven Years in Hyrule

23.10 - Hyrulean Mythbusting, Amateur Edition

22.5 cont. - The battle is joined, and now changes fields.

23.'Pool' - Deadpool Attacks "_Attacks? I didn't attack anything. You know who attacked? Lord Circey, with that cliffhanger up there. You know what I'm talking about."_


	24. Chapter 24

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: Link-Mania

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda, for who can say that they truly own anything. Even those treasures that we hold tightest will, in course of time, slip away from us into oblivion. But seriously, I don't own this stuff.

* * *

><p>22.5 cont.<p>

* * *

><p>In the beginning, there was light.<p>

Then, the light divided in three, red, green, and blue. The brilliant red light took the name Din, and gathered itself, before forming that which is, matter and energy and physical substance. The soothing green light took the name Farore, and planted itself to create the greatest of all gifts, life, imbuing it in the earth to bring forth trees and beasts and men. The dazzling blue light took the name Nayru, and spread itself, weaving together the laws and orders by which matter would move, by which life would interact, and by which both would grow. Together, the three lights, later to be named goddesses, combined their power to create the land of Hyrule, and all that encompassed it, filling it with their chosen beings...

Unfortunately, they didn't exactly get everything right the first time. Hey, they were learning. It wasn't like they had done all of this before. Their first attempt resulted in far too little matter being used, resulting in an odd, ghostly realm that was way too bright. They set that one aside, naming it the Spirit or Sacred Realm, and decided to pretend they meant to make it all along. Labrynna followed, where the physical laws were just a bit off, leading to time looping in on itself a bit. Then Holodrum, where matter and life intersected oddly, making the seasons dart back and forth unless monitored closely. Finally, in Termina, most of the life was concentrated in four giant figures, and time only flowed as much as it chose to. Each world was in turn sealed to the side while the goddesses started over, certain that this time, they had managed to get everything just right. And finally, they did. Nayru finally sorted out all the fiddly bits of time, and Farore managed to fully diversify the life, and Din ensured there was plenty of matter to go around. Of course, at that point they realized that there wasn't space on the ground for the kingdom they intended their chosen children to start, so they had to throw up a floating island, but it was good enough.

Meanwhile, in one of the sealed off creations, things began to go oddly...

* * *

><p>The first thing that Zelda noticed as the three women arrived within Link's mind was the massive moon hanging in the sky, bound up in thick, black chains. The second was the shadowy figure hurtling towards them. Acting on instinct, Zelda shoved Midna (who was in her half-Phoenix mental avatar state) and Navi (who was Hylian-sized) off to either side while she pushed off the ground, calling on her angelic wings as she leapt over the figure's charge.<p>

**TH/I-S IS M+IN\E!**

The twisted voice acted like a physical force, buffeting all three as they turned to face the figure. It was tall, and featureless save for the black flame surrounding it and the shadowy chains hanging around its body. It looked like one of the Shadow Interlopers Link fought on a regular basis, save that it was covered in flame and...nothing else.

Zelda had little time to think on that, as the figure grasped at the air and tugged, and a rip formed, revealing the hilt to a twisted blade that Zelda recognized as Ghirahim, the sword of Demise. Flicking her hand, Zelda summoned up the Bow of Light and began firing arrows of light intermixed with arrows bound to spells, while Navi and Midna darted forward to engage it physically.

**WH-Y DO YO/U FI+G\HT FO-R TH/E\M?**

The words were almost visible as they slammed into Midna, knocking her back a step while Navi's blade crossed against the blade of the shadowy figure. Navi quickly backpedaled, parrying the blade to the side when it became obvious the figure was much, much stronger than her in here. Still, she had decades of sword-skill behind her, and she quickly started a series of guerilla strikes, darting in between the many holes the mad figure left in its guard. Beside her, Midna shaped her burning psychic power into a hammer, and brought it smashing down on the Deity's blade, holding him long enough for Navi to score several deep slashes across his torso.

"They are my friends!", the Twili princesses spat back. "And Link is my butler!"

**TH+E/Y A\RE NO FR-I+EN/DS! T\H/EY S-IT ON TH+EIR TH/RO-NES A\ND C/A/S-T US AS+I\DE!**

Navi blinked. "What are you blabbering about?", she scoffed, as she ducked underneath a powerful hammer blow from Midna, that knocked the Deity staggering back. "Zelda's the only one of us that actually has a throne, this time, anyway, and none of us have ever met you."

**T-H/EY MA\DE AN+D W/ER-E AS/HAM-E\D! TH\EY C+A-ST U/S O-U\T!**

A whirlwind slammed into the Deity's face as Zelda fired off a mentally-projected Wind Waker Arrow, and she used the time to regroup with the others. "I believe he is ranting about the Goddesses. He kept bringing them up when I fought him physically."

Midna frowned and nodded. "That makes sense. He probably senses that I lack the Goddesses' Blessing in this life, due to my heritage. Never mind that I have been Din before." She scowled as she ducked under a crescent of darkness that flew from the Deity's blade, and she responded with a wall of psychic flame. "This is pointless. Unless we can get Link from wherever he is napping, beating this punk like a drum won't do anything."

Zelda glanced upwards at the chained moon. "I think I know where he is."

Midna and Navi both followed her gaze, then nodded. "Go," Midna stated, "we'll cover you. You are best at breaking magical seals. You get caught in them often enough."

Zelda growled playfully at the jab, then nodded, before taking off, while below, Midna and Navi charged back into battle.

* * *

><p><em>Four faces, craggled and weathered. Smiles all around. He was safe, protected, loved.<em>

_"Wel~co~me to li~fe."_

* * *

><p>Zelda followed the same route they usually used to enter the Moon, avoiding the dark chains that bound the Moon in place, and found herself in a familiar field. It was not, however, the field she usually found within the Moon. Instead, it was the clearing that she recognized from Kakariko Village, and in the center, stood the Deku Tree.<p>

Several chains pierced inward from the outer shell of the Moon, spearing into the aged tree, which was obviously dying, its bark peeling and leaves curling brown. Several dark webs crisscrossed across the branches, casting dark shadows across the Deku Tree's face, and a familiar clicking echoed from the branches.

Zelda didn't hesitate. Even as she flew close across the ground towards the tree, a Silver Arrow shot out from the bow she still held, lancing as fast as thought in towards the dark branches. A whistling thud, a flash, and then a chittering scream broke out as Queen Gohma fell out of the tree, its eye pierced through, already flaking into dust, while its webs dispersed. Zelda wasn't going to waste time playing around here.

The Deku Tree still seemed weak, but as she approached, it opened its mouth, beckoning her in. She quickly did so.

'Link, I'm coming.'

* * *

><p>"HAAH!" Midna shouted as she brought one of her flame-coated fists forward, smashing it into the Deity's guard, before twisting to deliver a second blow around his guard. The Deity twisted, roaring senselessly as it brought its blade around to block the strike. Which left it perfectly out of position to dodge as Midna's hair came around, in the shape of a burning hand, and slapped it aside, knocking it flying straight towards Navi, who barely flitted out of the way.<p>

"Hey, watch out. Why to you keep aiming at me when you toss him?"

Midna shook her head. "You're supposed to knock him back to me. It's called volleyballing."

Navi huffed. "I think you mean volleying, and does it look like I can volley with this?" She waved her rapier around, before ducking and slashing through one of the chains the Deity tried to impale her with.

"Link manages with a Bug Net." Midna responded, while gathering a fireball and hurtling it into the Deity's face. Navi used the distraction to line up, before unleashing the Linear skill Asuna had taught her. A dozen times she struck, before twisting and kicking off, driving the Deity off as she withdrew her blade, then darting out of range to circle around and look for another opening.

* * *

><p><em>So much empty space. Freedom. Exploration. A distant white sphere, too far to walk to.<em>

_"What is it?"_

_"It is th~e mo~on."_

* * *

><p>As Zelda flew through the mouth of the Deku Tree, she found herself exiting a wooden arch. She glanced back to see simply the arch, leading out to an endless field. Turning back, she saw the village of Ordon laid out in front of her. More chains pierced down from the sky into the town, which appeared broken and deserted. Zelda quickly moved forward, only to dart away from a sudden burst of motion spotted from the corner of her eye.<p>

A Darknut sliced into the dirt she had been standing on, red eyes gleaming within its helmet. Zelda quickly fired an arrow straight into the eyeslits of the helm, causing the dark knight to collapse in a pile of dust. However, as Zelda turned back, she found a dozen of the dark warriors, stepping out from around ruined buildings and broken trees. Huffing slightly, Zelda dismissed her bow, and drew forth a pair of shining blades of light.

"Very well. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Navi leapt in with a shout, hurling a Dazzling Gleam from her hand to knock the Deity back. "Get off her!" Midna had gotten a bit careless, and the Deity had managed to grab her hair with one hand, and had used the leverage to slam her into the ground. The flash of Navi's attack disoriented the Deity long enough for Navi to slash through its wrist, the newly severed appendage dissipating into smoke. Midna rolled away as the Deity howled in fury and pain.<p>

**Y-O/U H+AT-E ME! TH/E\Y HA-T+E ME! WH/Y?! W\H-Y D\O TH+EY H/A\TE?**

Navi ignored his shouts as she began to circle, faster and faster, drawing on the air around her to twist and shape. A tornado formed, gripping the Deity and lifting him, up into the sky. Navi followed, circling to maintain the vortex, before drawing back and flipping into a tight rising arc to gain speed.

"TORNADO AXE SPLITTER!" Navi swung her blade around, pushing all of her momentum into the strike, forcing her energy out into the blade. It swept down, cutting vertically through the vortex and through the Deity trapped inside, sending it hurtling down to the ground below.

The Deity arrived with a crash, and Navi followed shortly thereafter, landing heavily, and panting lightly with exertion. Executing her moves in the mindscape was simple, but draining, as the Deity's power actively fought their attacks and sought to stop them from completing. A hand rested on Navi's shoulder, and she glanced up at Midna, who was watching as the Deity rose from the crater, already healing from its near-bisection.

"Good job. Now it's my turn." Behind her, the Mirror of Twilight floated and began to glow.

* * *

><p><em>So many things. All small, but some smaller, scurrying around and doing things. They made them.<em>

_"You made me first. That means I'm best?"_

_"We ca~re fo~r a~ll a~nd fo~r yo~u"_

* * *

><p>The last Darknut faded as Zelda sheathed her blades, before stepping forward to what the Darknuts had been guarding. All of the chains piercing down centered within the well at the center of the village. Zelda couldn't remember if Ordon actually had a well, but it now sat in the town center, glowing slightly.<p>

Zelda flicked out her hands and gathered a thin bubble of air around her body, before stepping over the edge and dropping into the depths of the well. Water rushed past, and suddenly everything seemed to spin, before she found herself rising up and breaking the surface of the water, revealing Outset Island floating in front of her as she bobbed in the water just off of the docks. More of the chains rose from the sea and extended from the sky to pierce the island, and they seemed to be centered on the top of the mountain. Zelda quickly floated over to the dock and ascended out of the water, before quickly taking flight.

Her mental fatigue saved her. Her concentration drifted for just a moment as she ascended, and her wings flickered, causing her to drop a few feet. Just as it happened, a massive figure tore through the air where she had been, and Zelda quickly performed a barrel roll to gain distance. Wheeling around, the Helmaroc King let out a screech as it came back for another pass.

Zelda fired off several Light arrows, but a combination of the drafts around the massive bird and its thick body blunted the damage, leading to the Helmaroc seeming to simply shrug off the bursts. She needed something stronger.

However, before she could formulate a plan, a blur of red light shot down from the heavens, piercing through the back of the Helmaroc King and out the front. It faltered in the air, flailing its wings, before its feathers began to molt off as its body converted into mist, fading away with an angry, desperate cry. Zelda gaped briefly, before catching sight of the raising figure that had just defeated the giant bird. Her heart rose at the sight of a rising red Loftwing, before falling slightly at the empty saddle on its back. However, as it drew level with her, Zelda saw a familiar gleam in its eyes.

'So, you are fighting it after all, Link'. Zelda smiled at the bird, which let out a squawk and turned, providing its back. Zelda took the implied invitation and alighted on the saddle, allowing her own shining wings to fade. Then both princess and bird quickly ascended up into the sky.

* * *

><p>24.1 (Detective Ethan Redfield)<p>

* * *

><p>"So, I assume this is the Mikasa Glitch?" asked Ryuu Barten, owner and patron of Termina's very own milk bar, Eden Hall. Seven Links were sitting at the table, drinking deep gulps of Chateau Romani. Elsewhere on the stage, a Zora, Goron and Deku Scrub Link were playing their parts for the Ballad of the Wind Fish. A young human Link was waving his Baton, directing the wind to enrich the music. Ryuu decided it would be a sight to see during the Carnival of Time.<p>

At the table, there was one Link, self titled Young Link who was featured in the Hub's Ocarina of Time. He looked up at Ryuu and sighed. "Yeah. I just know next loop, I'm going to spend the entire loop trying to sort out the different memories."

The building started rumbling and shaking for several seconds before it came to an end. Ryuu looked out the window and asked, "Shouldn't you do something about that?"

He indicated the moon that was even now slowly descending towards Termina. Young Link shrugged, "My adult self has it taken care of."

* * *

><p>Adult Link smirked as he stood atop the clock tower. His hand drew a multicolored sphere and crushed it between his fingers. Power flowed through his veins as he drew his sword towards the moon. His hands became a blur as his blade cut and cut the mass of stone over and over again, a shining image of the Triforce appearing in the air as he did so. After his blade ceased moving, the moment seemed to hang in the air, then a final slice smashed into the orb, sending it flying to the stars. With a flash of light, the Moon was gone. He swung his blade low twice, twisted it in his hands behind his back, then sheathed it in victory.<p>

* * *

><p>Ryuu nodded as he looked out the window, "Yep, it's gone alright."<p>

Young Link rested his head on the table, not giving a damn with the impending headache coming up. The door swung open, causing every patron to turn to the door. They expected to see Adult Link walk through, but it was a boy dressed just like the other Links inside, but this time sporting black hair. Young Link groaned and asked, "TV Link?"

The new arrival nodded. Ryuu pulled up another jug of Chateau Romani and poured a new glass.

* * *

><p>24.2 (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi grinned as she looked out over the massive audience in Hyrule Fields. She had finally perfected her transformation into her mostly Hylian form, and so could be seen clearly as she waved to them, receiving a roar of applause as she lifted the voice enhancing pendant to her mouth.<p>

"Hello Hyrule!"

Another cheer answered her.

"Here we are on our fifth event! Just as a reminder, our little conductor contestant lost in the horseback riding first event. A good effort, but all that time driving trains just gave him the wrong reflexes for the job." she continued, gesturing to Link in the judge's box, wearing his conductor hat and uniform, who received some polite applause, and smiled and waved back in reply.

"Next to him, we have our boy from the clouds, who was taken out in the Goron-sumo second event! He had the will to win, but being trained to ride birds, he was just in the wrong weight class."

Link gave a small nod and smile.

"Then, we have our would-be pirate, taken out in the third event, the magic duel. His spell selection was just too small to compete, despite the fight he put up."

Link straightened his blue lobster shirt and stood to wave.

"And last time, our one man army contestant was eliminated in the stealth round. A good effort with distracting to cover the others, but four targets were just too difficult to hide completely."

Red, Blue, Green, and Purple Link all waved.

Several other Links down on the field all drew their bows and took their places.

"And now here we are at archery! Who will be eliminated today? Who, out of our remaining selection of heroes is, The Weakest Link!?"

The crowd roared.

* * *

><p>24.3<p>

* * *

><p>Link whistled to himself as he wandered through the small door at the base of the Maku Tree. Visiting Farore, Oracle of Secrets, was always fun, as she always had a ton of nifty toys for him to use, though trying to guess the passwords was incredibly difficult. They were typically ridiculously long streams of letters and number, referencing random things like the number of Gasha Nut trees in existence, the number of eyelashes on the Mayor's left eye, the name of the current Moblin guard spelled backwards, and every fourth letter from the poem hidden in the bottom drawer of Pirate Captain's cabin. Still, hints were everywhere if you knew where to look, at it had never been exactly the same thing twice, so it was a great way to stave off boredom.<p>

"Hello, Farore, how are...you...?" Link trailed off as he took in Farore's unusual outfit. Her skin was a pale blue, and she was wearing a large set of overalls and a large blue bandanna on her head. She was also floating about an inch off the floor.

"HELLO, HERO! I AM FARORE, THE BOX ORACLE OF SECRETS!" Farore boomed out at far too loud a volume.

"The wha?" Something about this was stirring something in Link's memory, but he couldn't quite remember what. "I, uh, I was coming to..."

"WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF?"

Link blinked, then took a wild stab at it. "Six?"

Farore grinned widely. "YES! YOU ARE CORRECT! FOR A BOX HAS SIX SIDES! YOU GET A REWARD!"

Link's mouth dropped. That had to be the easiest 'secret' he had ever solved for Farore. "What do I get?"

Farore's grin widened, and gained a slight maniac tinge. She sped over to the counter, and pulled a large tasseled rope that was hanging next to her desk. "BOXES FOR THE CHOSEN ONE!"

Link barely had time to react to the rumbling that started above him before a tide of boxes poured down from a hole in the ceiling. Cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, an odd box-shaped watermelon, all swept down, filling the room before forcing their way out of the Maku Tree through sheer pressure, carrying Link away from a final shout of "BOXES!"

* * *

><p>24.4 (Crisis)<p>

* * *

><p>As she lounged by her private pool, Zelda had to admit to herself that the swimsuit was perhaps the most ingenious fashion innovation ever. Displaying practically all the features of the physical form while still being considered socially modest attire. Most Loops she'd had to fight tooth and nail on political and legal fronts to be allowed to wear outfits that had a fair amount more fabric than the average women's one piece, much less the bikini she preferred when given the option (having never forgotten the look on Link's face the first time she wore one), because the delicate sensibilities of the Hylian nobles tended to think it scandalous for a princess to show so much as her ankle. She sometimes wondered if they'd try to hide even her face from view under the claim that a princess's visage was not to be seen by the unworthy or some idiocy like that. Honestly, for whatever other problems the Gerudo posed in the average instance of Hyrule, they had a much more sensible view on clothing.<p>

There were other reasons she liked this Loop. Aside from being more of what many loopers referred to as a 'modern' setting (and even a bit advanced technologically), it had taken as its past a recent foray of hers to move Hyrule (well, New Hyrule) to a constitutional monarchy. Which meant her official duties as a princess were almost entirely ceremonial. She still had duties of course, but she also had a great deal more free time than usual. And her relationship with Link...

Zelda grinned to herself as she pictured Link in his latest non-hero outfit. He'd gone with his traditional green, but he was every inch the biker for the time being. The whole 'boyfriend/girlfriend' thing was something else she liked. She and Link weren't together every Loop they were Awake, and most of the time they were involved it was in some official capacity as princess and consort. The ability to be together casually would likely forever be a novelty.

"Your highness?" a male voice interrupted Zelda's thoughts. And her sunbathing.

Looking over, Zelda saw her master scheduler clearing his throat. "Hello Shad. Did you and Ashei have a good time last night?"

The young man blushed crimson and coughed politely. Yes, it seemed those two had had a _very_ good time last night.

"We did," he stated at last. "However, I came to remind you to get ready for your appointment this afternoon."

"I thought the delegation from Lorule wasn't until next week?" Zelda blinked, sure she hadn't forgotten that. It was still relatively rare that she and Hilda could get together and just chat. Link and Ravio hadn't seen each other in a while either.

"It isn't," Shad agreed, "but your visit to Light Labs on the other hand–"

Zelda shot up so fast her wardrobe almost malfunctioned. That was today?! She'd gotten so caught up in the 'modern' conveniences that she'd nearly forgotten about the other loopers whose home branch Hyrule had fused with. Ones she'd been looking forward to meeting for a while now.

* * *

><p>24.5 (Filraen)<p>

* * *

><p>"Navi, you're not fooling anyone with that getup" Link said to his fairy companion, who was wearing a fitting Konoha flak jacket, dark blue pants, long-sleeve shirt, a face mask and a metal plate in her forehead which had the Kokiri emblem carved on it.<p>

Thought it may be the fact that the brightness of Navi's tiny body made her clothes impossible to see.

"You say so but nobody has been able to recognize me since I started wearing it, haven't they?" Navi's retorted quickly, deliberately not mentioning they were in Termina right now.

* * *

><p>24.6 (Inspired by Alyss Penedo)<p>

* * *

><p>Link yawned and stretched, before looking around. He was on a long stretch of beach, which looked like it was probably Koholint Island. There wasn't any sign of Marin, but he might have woken up before she showed up. Still, it was as good a time as any to head down the beach and get his sword.<p>

As he walked down the sandy shore, several large crabs popped up out of the sand and scuttled towards him. Link kicked out, flipping up one of the crabs and knocking it flying into another. While his baseline self might be defenseless without a blade, Link was not so handicapped. Finally, he spotted his blade lying half-buried in the sand off to the side.

"Perfect. Come to Poppa." Link's hand closed around the handle of his sword, and, with a jolt, he suddenly felt himself falling, yet he could still feel his body standing still on the shore. Then his body began to move on its own.

"Oh dear. Master, there is a 96% chance that we are sharing a single body this Loop."

* * *

><p>'OK Fi, so, I'm going to shoot the Moblin in the rear, then I'll switch over to you to deal with the two closest.'<p>

'Affirmative, Master.'

Link groaned softly. 'Seriously, I know you aren't that submissive anymore, so why do you keep calling me Master?'

'Because your expression becomes 35% more humorous when I do so.'

Link stared blankly ahead at the group of Moblins, before letting his arrow fly and reaching for the sword. 'Of course it does.'

As Fi took control and surged forward in a graceful lunge, Link pondered on their situation. Once they had linked up, they had managed to establish a mental connection to communicate. A few tests had confirmed that, so long as Fi's hilt was in contact with Link's hands, Fi would be in control of his body. Link didn't mind as much as he might have, because Fi was, by design, a phenomenal swordswoman. This was exemplified in the fact that, two seconds after darting forward, Fi had already finished off both Moblins with a series of spinning slashes.

* * *

><p>24.7<p>

* * *

><p>Din, an up-and-coming trainer from Celadon City, stood on stage in the Indigo Conference. Lifting her Pokeball high, she shouted, "Hero, I choose you!"<p>

Link, for now a Scyther named Hero, burst from his Pokeball to face his competition. 'My life this Loop may be a living pun, but sword-arms are always cool.'

* * *

><p>24.8<p>

* * *

><p>"Sho, we neesh ta make wif da teshs fo da heeero, sho he know who he ish." Navi, Goddess of Courage, slurred as she looked out over the Land of Hyrule that she and her 'sisters' had just finished creating. Several bottles of fermented ambrosia and Big Mac's Special Kick In The Can Bottled Firewine floated nearby, most well on the way to being drained. The three temporary goddesses had been celebrating finally getting the creation of Hyrule finished with no mishaps.<p>

"Do we~e ha~a~a~ave to?" Midna, Goddess of Power, drunkenly sang as she spun some clouds around her fingers, forming an impossible knot that was slightly painful to look at. "He's gonna have the, whatisit, green, head floppy hat thing."

"Nah, nah, but how, *hic* how wills he know to besh wearin da hatsh?" Navi pointed a finger imperiously at Midna, before swinging to point off at a point just over her shoulder. Both of them sat their pondering, before Midna suddenly perked up.

"Itsa puzzle, so we should make a puzzle, see, like, with all the things, the square, boxes, yeah, boxes."

Navi blinked and shook her head, before tilting her head from side to side. "Whoa, thash weird."

Midna frowned. "What's weird? I'm not weird."

Navi blinked at her again. "I forgot." She stared at Midna some more, before a lightbulb lit off in her head. "But boxsees. Yah, we can make losh and losh of boxeses, and a picture, too."

Midna nodded. "Yeah, a big picture."

Navi started laughing. "The big pisxture, of evereree, of its all!"

Off to the side, Fi absorbed some more of the contents of one of the bottles and converted it directly to energy. While she had experienced the feelings of being drunk in the past, and had found it to be a pleasant experience, she felt it was the most prudent course of action to remain sober at this time to ensure that her counterparts didn't destroy the world creating their 'box tests'. As she moved to follow the others as they descended to start on their 'brilliant' plan, she sighed softly to herself.

"...I wanted to make it a dance contest."

* * *

><p>Link rubbed his eyes, glancing back between the sign and massive room in front of him. He had seen some ridiculous things, but this...<p>

The room was tremendous, and the floor was absolutely covered in stone blocks, thousands of them. Each of the stone blocks was colored on top, and according to the sign, he had to assemble the blocks into a mosaic picture of the three goddesses. It was an herculean task, but the post script was some small comfort, at least.

'P.S. I am very, very apologetic. - Fi, Goddess of Wisdom'

* * *

><p>24.9<p>

* * *

><p>Impa huffed as she sat down in the wooden chair in Naryu's house. She really disliked Loops through Labrynna, as they always started out with her getting possessed. Or rather, they started out with her being possessed, and thus made Awakening a confused jumbled mess, as she had to be careful not to let Veran discover that anything was amiss. While Epona had assured them that this part of their universal history was a stable as possible, given that time travel was involved, a Veran that was aware of the Loops could often do enough damage to force a crash. Not a fun experience.<p>

The other reason behind Impa's ire was the condition her body was in. For whatever reason, this version of her was a dumpy old maid, rather than the powerful, lithe warrior that she was used to being. Even though she could wield a sword fairly decently, this body had obviously not gone through nearly enough training for a proper royal bodyguard.

Still, the upside was that she really didn't have to do much for this Loop to go right. Link, though for some reason he was Unawake, was able to defeat Veran and save Naryu 99 times out of 100, and Impa was certain she had managed to avoid the hundredth time that led to Veran crashing the Loop. So, she had some time on her hands, and frankly, spending it all whipping this body into shape just wasn't appealing right now.

* * *

><p>Naryu breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her small forest home. It had been an honest nightmare being possessed by that witch, she only hoped that Ralph and that boy, Link, didn't horribly injure themselves trying to stop her.<p>

Naryu froze as she entered her house. Paintings. Paintings everywhere. Large canvases propped up against the walls, smaller canvases on her bed, couch, and chairs, and several sketches were laid in piles on her table. Tilting her head, Naryu took in the nearest portrait. It was the picture of a sunset on a beach, but she wasn't familiar with the locale. Probably somewhere to the south...

"Oh, who are...oh, it's you." Naryu spun around at the unfamiliar voice. A rather large woman was standing in the doorway, a small canvas tucked under her arm. Naryu blinked for a moment.

"You, you are the woman who was being possessed by Veran."

The woman nodded. "Yes. I never got a chance to introduce myself, but I am Impa, from Hyrule. I was sent by Princess Zelda to keep you safe, but, well, Veran happened."

Naryu nodded. She perfectly understood the feeling, being trapped in your body, with no way to control what you are doing. "And the paintings?"

Impa flushed. "...I was bored."

Naryu smiled. "They are quite good. Did you paint them from memory?"

* * *

><p>Impa winced at Naryu's unknowingly insightful question. In point of fact, Impa had been teleporting around Labrynna (and a bit further) to find things to paint while she waited for the Loop to end. Then Impa paused. The magic she used was native, though her native self wouldn't have known it. But Naryu didn't know her native self, so...<p>

"Actually, I painted them on-site."

Naryu's eyes widened. "So many? You must have travelled far, but..." her eyes suddenly grew cloudy with worry, "that must mean I've been gone much longer than I thought. And I might not be able to go back to the right point, and Ralph will..."

Impa quickly jumped forward. She hadn't meant to send Naryu into a panic. "No, no, it was quite quick. I have access to the magic of crossing space, just as you can cross time. It has only been perhaps a week or so."

Naryu exhaled in relief, before blinking again. "And you painted all of these in such a short time?"

Impa smiled sheepishly. "I was very, _very_ bored."

* * *

><p>24.10 (Evilhumour)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi was Woke up early in this loop, in what her friends called the Ocarina of Time starting point. Sending off pings as she flew towards where Link was, she thought of how she would try to prove herself this loop when she heard a thud from within Link house.<p>

Flying faster as she got two pings back; she frowned at the large child in Link's place as she flew inside, her loop memories kicking in. While they still named him Link, he was definitely not the normal Link and more than likely a new looper. He was a tall kid with very shaggy hair; and unlike the baseline history for Link, the baby was not found in front of the Deku Tree but several months later almost completely wild. It had taken a lot of work from her and Saria to civilize the child, with him sliding back every now and then, running on all fours, scratching himself with his foot, and generally acting like a wild wolf. The village children had done their best to make him welcome and she had done her best to raise him.

Flying around him, she asked "Hey, hey, are you alright?"

The boy groaned, a hand weakly reaching around as he stayed down on knees. "Human. Not used to."

"Oh." She blinked; it was a bit rare that they got a looper that wasn't humanoid, even more so that had little chance to be bipedal. "Do you need some help?" she could have smacked herself, for that stup-

"Y-yes-" he growled before whimpering. "Not used to talk with words." The child shuddered which prompted Navi to gently navigate the child back to his bed with a gentle tone, reassuring when he fumbled and doing her best to help him get used to being a human.

Finally, the boy was sitting upright on his bed, and flashing her a fanged smile that spoke of his gratitude. She understood it from some sort of instinctual response, and she figured that getting him to speaking was something to be gradually done, as was the rest of what they would need to do. First, she would need to learn the true name of the child across of her. So she asked him what was his real name.

The boy simply responded with, "Geri."

"Well Geri, I think it would be easier if I told you of my loop first as speaking seems a bit difficult for you. Is that ok?"

The boy nodded his head and Navi began to tell a tale that would span time itself.

* * *

><p>22.5 Finale<p>

* * *

><p>"...and why does he even think that it would be romantic? I mean, like, a quarter of the time, he thinks kicking me out, turning me into a midget, and overthrowing the world, will make me want to marry him! How moronic is that!" Midna ranted as a pair of shadowy arms flared out of the Twilight Mirror, smashing down to flatten the Deity. At first, she had been taunting the Deity while attacking with the shadowy powers of Twilight. However, at some point after summoning a series of wolves to tear the Deity apart, she had gotten distracted and gone off on a tangent about the stupidity of Zant.<p>

Navi just nodded, tossing in a few wind blades to pin down the Deity before Midna pulled out actual spears of shadow to pin it down for real. She then summoned up a handful of black bombs and rained them down, interspersed with more rants.

"...can't even take over properly, I mean, you don't leave bits and pieces of your weakness lying around, and gloating is seriously overrated, not to mention short-sighted. You want to impress me, you need to actually have a pair of brain cells to rub together."

* * *

><p><em>Boredom, trapped, nothing new. Everything to be seen is seen, save the stars, and what was beyond.<em>

_"I'm going to break free and find a new place."_

_"Be ca~re~ful."_

* * *

><p>Zelda smiled as a familiar island came into view. Skyloft always held a special place in her heart, as she had much fewer responsibilities there, and much more opportunities to be a normal teenager. Still, it was rather heartbreaking to see the island in ruins, with shadowy chains piercing through the burning buildings. Still, from her aerial perch, she could clearly see where the chains converged. Beneath the Goddess Temple.<p>

The Crimson Loftwing circled wide around the island, as Zelda used a Magic Missile spell to blow away a flock of Keese that was swarming up towards them, and the pair drifted closer to the entrance to Fi's Chamber. Zelda shivered, even as she blasted away another flock, as she could feel the dark pressure that had been hovering in the background after she entered the moon rising quickly. The Deity was reacting to her presence. She pulled on the Phantom Armor to prepare herself.

The pair landed at the hidden entrance to the Chamber of the Sword, and Zelda leapt off. The Loftwing took flight, circling above as Zelda approached the hidden door. Zelda ran her hand across the surface, allowing her magic to seep into the stone. The wall glowed, and then the glow compressed into a symbol. But not a symbol she had hoped to see.

An egg-shaped oval sat in the center of the hidden door, with the profile of a bird within. Zelda's breath caught, just as a loud cry echoed out from above her.

BWAKAK!

Zelda leapt back as the symbol glowed red, her eyes fixed on the Statue of the Goddess, mouth open in horror. The statue of her most primeval self rippled, before shrinking slightly and twisting. After a long, terrifying moment of morphic-uncertainty, a massive, black, stone Cucco perched where the statue had been. With agonizing slowness, the Cucco turned to stare down at Zelda, glowing red eyes piercing down at her.

"Oh...fuuu..."

BWAKAK! The Cucco's cry cut across Zelda's curse, as it leapt off of the pillar. Zelda barely got out of the way as the massive stone talons smashed into the courtyard where she had been standing. Zelda stumbled, feeling the island itself tilting slightly under the impact. She quickly darted away, pulling on a pair of Pegasus Boots to help keep her ahead of the Cucco's beak as it pecked down at her, gouging deep scars in the grass behind her. She shaped a pair of bombs stuffed with magical powder and hurled them over her shoulder, but given the strong, angry cry that joined with their explosion, she doubted they had had quite the effect she had wanted. However, she wasn't going to stop to find out.

A massive shadow suddenly fell over her, and she glanced up. The Cucco had flapped above her, and now was coming down like a feathered stone meteor. Moments before impact, the Loftwing streaked past with a scream, snatching Zelda away from the flattening strike.

"Thank you." Zelda let out a long breath as she hauled herself up and over into the saddle. "Ok, I need you to circle around. Stay close, but just out of reach." The Loftwing let out a cry and turned to flash past, dodging the beak as the Cucco jumped up, before circling past one of the Temple Walls that hadn't been knocked down yet. Zelda then clasped her hands. 'I really hope this works.'

_"One who is brighter than dawn_

_One who is gold with divine hope_

_Beyond the flow of time_

_In thy great name,_

_I hereby pledge myself to light_

_Those who have borne they weighty burden_

_All those who have become heroes_

_Stand with me now_

_To grant the true righteous desire_

_TRIA SAVER!"_

Above her head, the image of the Triforce appeared, drawn by the power of her chant, and then a wave of light ripped outward. After the light dissipated, Zelda smiled, before it faded away. The giant black Cucco statue was gone. In its place was a slightly smaller, flesh-and-blood, Golden Cucco.

"Of course. It couldn't be that easy."

At the sound of her voice, the Cucco looked up, then jumped, beak wide open. Zelda let out a small 'eep', which quickly turned into a louder scream as the Loftwing suddenly dropped straight down. A quick twist had them shooting past the open beak, and then the tight dive straightened out to fly straight under the massive bird, Zelda's hair brushing against the feathers on the underbelly of the titanic Cucco. The Loftwing turned and dropped to the side, dumping Zelda off onto the ground next to the remnants of the temple.

"What are you doing?" Zelda scrambled to her feet, gathering her wits and magic. In response, the Loftwing pointed its wing at the base of the temple, where the doorway had been caved in at some point in the Cucco's rampage. Zelda turned back, just in time to see the Loftwing take off and fly up towards the Cucco's head. She smiled ruefully, then turned and headed into the open doorway.

"Good luck, Link."

* * *

><p>"...and this is for the time you started up a pinned bug collection." Navi swung her blade around, feeding fire magic into it, to create a large burning tornado around her, which she swept the Deity up in.<p>

Midna raised an eyebrow as Navi twisted the burning column to plow into the earth. "As amusing as it is to see you take out your frustration on him, you do realize that isn't Link, right?"

Navi huffed. "Yes, I know, but if I beat up Link, I know it is only because he is letting me win, given his track record, so this is the next best thing." So declaring, she turned back to the now extinguished Deity and fired off a sharp forward thrust, which culminated in a lance of air piercing straight through him. "And that is for flirting with Tael in front of me."

Midna chuckled, before shrugging smoothly and gesturing with the Mirror of Twilight, causing a wired suspension bridge made of shadow to fly out and land atop the Deity. As Navi turned to gape at her, Midna laughed and stated, "That is for peeing on my wardrobe as a wolf".

* * *

><p><em>Restriction and binding. Everything was shrinking down.<em>

_=He is too powerful=_

_=He is beyond reason=_

_=If you insist=_

_=For the good of all, this must be done=_

_Darkness came and swallowed me up._

* * *

><p>Zelda emerged into the front hall of Hyrule Castle. She didn't need to see the chains piercing through the halls to know where to go, she could feel the familiar aura coming from the direction of the main hall and throne room. Quickly, Zelda raced up the staircase and through the set of double doors, racing along the hallway towards the ornate entrance to the throne chamber.<p>

She entered the chamber and stopped, horrified. Link was there, suspended in the air above the throne, pierced through with the chains, which bound him and held him there, suspended. The throne itself was empty, but Zelda could feel the power gathering for a final push to stop her. Directly in front of her, the carpet turned pitch black, and a shadowy figure rose up to face her.

It was herself, in Shadow Interloper form. The dark doppelganger tilted her head and smiled, before raising her hands. Before she could cast a spell, however, a Silver Arrow shot through her head, turning her skull to shadowy smoke. The figure began to reform, but Zelda began pumping the crank on the semi-automatic crossbow she had just pulled out, and a storm of Silver Arrows ripped through the dark figure, reducing her to so much smoke.

"Not today, sweetie." Zelda quickly strode forward, bringing the crossbow around to tear through the chains. Sparks flew as the light of the arrows blasted away at the dark bindings, and one by one they snapped, leading to Link dropping down to the floor. Pulling out a blade of light, Zelda cut away the chains around him, and then pressed her hands to his chest, before flooding him with every healing spell she could think of.

"I am sorry, Link. As much as I would love to let you rest, we really need you to kick this thing out of your head so it doesn't come back to bite us."

* * *

><p>"PHOENIX METEOR RAIN" Midna chanted as she assumed a full Phoenix avatar state, before raining down fireballs on the Deity from her extended wings. As the smoke rose and the fireballs died away, Midna then wrapped the aura tightly around her before diving straight down into the devastation. "PHOENIX TWILIGHT SPEAR"<p>

The impact of her attack ignited a fireball within the crater, which lit up the retreating figure of the Deity, who had leapt clear of her assault. It landed and roared in anger, hurling dark crescents of energy from the battered blade in its hands, which carved furrows through the ground and smoke. As the smoke parted, it revealed Midna half hidden behind a flickering magical barrier, which shattered moments later.

Taking advantage of the lull in the Deity's attacks, Navi darted in. "DANCE OF THE BLOOMING LOTUS" Navi spun past the Deity in an arc, slashing as she raced by, before looping around and shooting back in a different arc. Again and again she darted back and forth, moving fast enough to leave a blurring afterimage behind her, which resulted in what appeared to be a glowing flower of slashes appearing, centered on the Deity, who was pinned by the continuous assault. Finally, Navi broke away with a spiraling step, that led her to tightly spin around the Deity, dissipating the flower image with single powerful spin-cut.

Woozily, Navi staggered over to Midna, holding her head. "Ooh, I forgot how many Gees that move packs when I do it at Hylian-size."

Midna blinked innocently. "You...do know that we don't have to be affected by things like gravity in here if we don't choose to be, right?"

Navi stared blankly at Midna, who, she realized, had not seemed the slightest bit winded during this battle, despite swinging around some massive psychic weaponry. "I hate you."

Midna just smiled sweetly in response.

Their banter was cut short when the Deity roared, and the dark flames surrounding him rose up angrily.

**NO, Y/O-U CA\N'T D-O T/H+AT! I WO/N-'T...AG\+AI-N...N/\OT...T-O Y/O+-U!**

Navi carefully set her stance. "Is it just me, or is he getting stronger?"

Midna nodded. "And still more insane. I fear that it is adapting to our power. That is why I have been trying to limit what I use, while still keeping him too focused here to stop Zelda."

Navi nodded. "Well, I hope she hurries."

In answer to Navi's statement, a trio of Silver Arrows impacted the burning form of the Deity, battering aside the flame, but lacking in any noticeable effect on the Deity itself. Navi and Midna both glanced up and smiled.

Zelda was descending on wings of light, while beside her, Link flew in on his Crimson Loftwing. He looked exhausted, but determined, as he leapt lightly from the Loftwing to land on the ground.

Slowly, Link paced forward, his eyes locked on the shadowy figure. In his hands, the Master Sword appeared in a flash. Almost as if it had been waiting for that signal, the Deity blasted forward with an echoing cry.

**N/-N-N/O+\/O-/O\O!**

They met in a shower of sparks. Pushing off, Link parried aside the force of the blow and slid his blade down toward the Deity's hilt. The Deity pushed aside the thrust, forcing Link back a step, before bring the blade in for a side sweep. Link leapt up, his foot brushing across the blade as he pushed off into an aerial somersault, before landing and dashing forward under the Deity's guard.

Back and forth they dance, Link darting about like an acrobat, rolling around strikes and popping up to slide past the Deity's guard. The Deity crashed forward like an avalanche, each blow bearing overwhelming force, directed with echoes of the skill Link displayed, each strike aimed to be a lethal blow.

Link stepped back to allow a mighty slash to pass diagonally in front of him, then stepped forward, his blade darting in towards the deity's face. The deity deflected the first strike with the pommel of its blade, then batted the second away with the back of its hand, before bringing its blade around towards Link's open ribs. Link barely managed to position the blade in the way, absorbing the majority of the blow, and skidding backwards on his heels from the strike. Link adjusted his stance, then sighed, and smiled.

"I understand you now. I know what happened, how they sealed you away."

**T-HH/E\Y W/E/R-E A/+FR/-AI-\D!**

Link nodded. "I understand. And with that understanding, I will pierce through the darkness of your fear and hatred, and reveal the light I know you have inside." Link quickly sunk into a deeper stance, before kicking off, the Master Sword glowing as he brought it around.

"SHONEN POWER UNDERSTANDING THERAPY BLADE STRIKE!"

All was white.

* * *

><p>Zelda groaned slightly as she came to in her body, which had fallen to the ground when they had jumped into Link's mind. Next to her, Navi likewise stirred, while Midna was already standing next to Link. Zelda rose and made her way over, pausing only briefly when she spotted the Fierce Deity Mask floating in the air in front of Link. Keeping her eyes on the artifact, she slid up to his side.<p>

"Therapy Blade Strike?"

Link chuckled. "Naruto and Ichigo taught me about it, and I improved on it during a Gurren Lagann Loop. It seems ridiculous, but if you have the proper circumstances it is extremely effective."

Zelda hmm'd noncommittally as she gazed at the mask. "And your 'experiment'?"

Link sighed sadly. "It seems that the Goddesses made Termina as an accident, and sealed it away rather than unmaking it. When they made it, there were only four beings in existence, The Four Giants. They took a look around, and then they went to work improving the place. One of the first living things they made was the Kid." He nodded towards the mask. "While the Giants worked on making things and beings, the Kid grew and learned. It explored every nook and cranny, and met every living thing here, though it always considered itself to be the best, because it was the first that was made."

Link sighed as he stared up at the now-distant moon. "Eventually, it got bored, and wanted to find new places to explore. So it broke free and snuck around the other worlds. It ended up breaking through and leading some of the demons from a different sealed world into Hyrule, which led to the whole Demise situation. It was unapologetic when the Goddesses confronted it, and declared its intention to break down all the barriers so that it could go wherever it wanted. So the Goddesses sealed it away in a mask and bound it in the moon. Then, well, when I took a look through its past, it woke up and took over."

_i'm sorry_

Zelda, Midna, and Navi all jumped at the tiny voice that echoed out of the mask. Link smiled, sadly, before shaking his head.

"There is nothing to be sorry about. Like I said, I understand."

_...i don't want to go away_

Link gestured up at the giants, who were still standing around after having heaved the moon back into orbit. "You don't have to. The Goddesses aren't here, and your...your parents are. They are here for you."

The mask was silent as it slowly rotated, looking at each of the giants in turn, before it turned to face Link again.

_ok_

With that, it quickly began to float up toward the giants, who all started to speak as one.

"Wel~co~me ba~ck."

* * *

><p>22.5 cont. - Mental Battles can get rather overblown, and symbolic.<p>

24.1 - Mikasa Yo Linka (The Mikasa Glitch causes a Looper to split into multiple versions of themselves)

24.2 - You are the Weakest Link! Well excu~use me, Princess.

24.3 - Beware My Boxy Secrets!

24.4 - The Mega Legend of Zelda: Tale of Two Heroes

Note - Relationships are a tricky thing in the Loops. There are very few stable long-term relationships, with most being like Link and Zelda: An amicable on-again, off-again, when they get the desire.

24.5 - Navi the Ninja

24.6 - Things got a bit complicated when he found the Fire Rod and Midna joined the mix.

24.7 - Link used Swords Dance. Ganondorf used Run Away.

24.8 - Drunk Goddesses Make Odd Puzzles.

24.9 - It can be tough, sitting on the sidelines. Sure is colorful, though.

24.10 - And Geri joins the Loops, from 40K. Let's give him a round of app-paws!

22.5 Finale - And Everything is Resolved. Read on, and see what may come in the future.

* * *

><p>22.5 Follow-Up<p>

* * *

><p>Link sighed as he stretched out on the clock tower roof, staring up at the stars. Given that the Loop hadn't ended immediately, he knew they had about a week or so. Usually, that gave him enough time to ride Epona out to seek out Navi, but given that he knew exactly where she was (off attending a Zora Fashion Show with Midna and Zelda), he didn't see much point in wandering around lost in the woods.<p>

Plus, he had someone he had to meet.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He glanced up at the figure, or rather, object, that had joined him on the roof.

_i want to explore, like i was going to before i messed up_ The Fierce Deity Mask floated in from the edge of the roof. _we are...linked. we can stay together_

Link laughed. "Your first pun. Good job." He rolled up to his feet, then turned and held out his hand. The Mask floated forward and settled onto his palm, staring up at him. "Before you go in, did you decide on a name like we discussed?"

_...a name...i never had one...i don't know_

Link nodded. "Well, until you decide, I'll give a temporary name. How about...D?"

The Mask was silent for a long moment, before it twitched in a parody of a nod. _i will be called...D_

Link smiled, then slid the Mask into his Pocket, and turned to watch the sun rising.


	25. Chapter 25

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: Crossing Between Worlds

Disclaimer: There is no dimension accessible to me where I own the Legend of Zelda, or any of the worlds shown in this chapter.

* * *

><p>25.1 - (Tincanman125)<p>

The Chalice of Zelda

* * *

><p>"She's taking too long..." the Caberjack said.<p>

"That's because she's more powerful than the others," the Hunter replied, "I believe she may be one of those 'Anchors' that Lord Belatucadros mentioned."

"I still don't trust him," the Caberjack said, "he could have just reforged us and lied about it, it's happened before."

"To what end?" the Hunter asked. "He has only asked us to continue what we've been doing."

"Look, I just don't trust a self-proclaimed War God," the Caberjack replied, "the suffering of war was what created the Cadence, remember?" She continued, "And these 'loopers' could just be part of whatever he's planning, we've been caught up in more elaborate ruses before right?"

"Quite," the Hunter agreed, "but enough of that, she seems to be Awake now, in both senses of the word; so I do think it is time to welcome our first visiting Anchor."

* * *

><p>Princess Zelda had Awoken in an oversized throne surrounded by people staring at her.<p>

She had been about to check her memories when some ridiculously loud horns sounded.

"Right, stop with the Horns of Birth!" A male voice said, seemingly originating from the oversized chalice she somehow hadn't noticed before.

"We don't have much time so I'll be quick," the chalice said, though in a female voice this time, "in a one word response, do you know how the terms looper, anchor, and branch are connected?"

"Yes." Zelda said.

"Good, that'll save us time." The male voice spoke, at which point Zelda noticed that a light emanated from the left side of the chalice, creating a silhouette of a male face. Idly she realized the same had happened for the female voice earlier, though the light had come from the other side of the chalice and the silhouette had been female.

Suddenly the loud horns from before sounded again, much to Zelda's confusion.

"Those were the 'Horns of Battle' this time," the female voice explained, "I promise we'll answer any questions you have later, right now you need to focus as hard as you can on The Chalice."

Though she was horribly confused, Zelda complied, and soon an image of warriors on a battlefield formed in her mind.

* * *

><p>"Ok," the female voice said, "now that we're here, time is relative, we could spend hours talking and none of the heroes down there will have even blinked."<p>

"Now then, time for introductions," the male voice said, "though we gave up our names when we became part of the Chalice, visitors such as yourself sometimes need to address us as individual entities; for those purposes I am known as 'The Hunter' and my counterpart is 'The Caberjack.'"

The Caberjack spoke next, "That's what we were when we were human, so you can just call us 'Hunter' and 'Cabe' if you want."

"Now who might you be?" Hunter asked.

"My name is Princess Zelda, Ruler of Hyrule." Zelda said.

"Well now that's out of the way, here's the important bits about our loop: you are linked to us, so as long as we exist you do too," Cabe said, "that being said, being bound to us means you can't leave the throne until the loop ends 300 years from now."

"Fortunately, we finally found a workaround," Hunter said, "we've built the throne into the floor and the back wall, thereby tricking the magic into thinking the the whole room is 'the throne' and have put everything you need in that room, with curtains acting as walls incase you need privacy."

"But why do you need an immortal ruler to begin with?" Zelda asked.

"Because we're at war, and, understandably, our citizens don't feel comfortable being ruled by a giant talking chalice." Cabe said.

"As for why it has to be an immortal, we need someone who can plan things out decades ahead of time, because our enemy, known as the Cadence, only attacks once every few years." Hunter explained. "Now then, we'll continue to explain things as they become relevant, starting on how to command your heroes in battle."

Princess Zelda was a natural at commanding her troops, the loops having enhanced her tactical prowess to unnatural levels, so she was done with the Cadence's Pawns in record time, and none of her troops had taken a single scratch.

She did notice something odd though, she'd been able to tell the ancestry of any of her heroes at a glance, and while not terribly fascinating itself, she'd noticed that three of the "bloodlines" had familiar names:

Hylian (_alchemist_), Gerudo (_caberjack_), and Skyloft (_hunter_).

"Could you tell me more about these 'bloodlines' please?" Zelda requested.

"Of course," Hunter said, "as royalty yourself, I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of arranged marriages and inheritance; as the leader of this nation you are required to assign a Regent to a keep, you will need to arrange a marriage for them with someone from a different bloodline, the couple will have children with random traits from the parents."

"Also, you should choose pairings carefully, encouraging traits like longevity and weeding out things like heart defects, there's going to be a big battle right before the end of the loop and you need the best fighters you can get." Cabe explained. "There's also a chance a looper might pop up now and then, this can be a mixed blessing. They don't have access to their powers, but it seems to translate over to a massive increase in all attributes instead. The downside is that they're infertile by default and their good genes can't be passed down, if they happen to be the last heir in a bloodline, then that line is dead if they don't adopt."

"However they can still train the next generation by becoming the Standard at a region's crucible," Hunter interjected, "or they can speed up research to breakneck speeds as Sagewrights."

"Speaking of bloodlines, yours is really powerful," Cabe said, "Thanks to being here you have heroic bloodlines from all of the families in your original vanguard, but somehow you carried over your baseline royal blood, magnifying your power further, and to top it all off, you're part of a divine bloodline, multiplying your power beyond anything I've ever seen. We had a hell of a time helping you manifest here, but once you did, it took everything you had before coming here and increased it one and a half times!"

"Had you access to your full potential we could wipe out the Cadence right now and stop any chance of them coming back, until the reset that is." Hunter told Zelda.

"I think I got it," Zelda said. "Basically, I have to bring out a bloodline's full potential, and if I see any loopers, use them for battle, then retire them to a crucible or the Sagewrights. And if it weren't for in-universe limits, then I could save this world alone."

Zelda cracked her knuckles.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." She mused

* * *

><p>25.2 - (Crossoverpairinglover)<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey look, Danny, a ghost!"<p>

Looking up from the homework he probably should actually do one of these loops, the anchor/protector of Amity Park headed down to his family's basement. Once there, he eyed the almost cartoonish looking blond female ghost who was currently floating in one of his father's traps, unable to escape, illuminated by the Ghost Zone Portal.

As she pounded at the walls, his large, orange jumpsuit wearing father laughed merrily.

"It's cool, isn't it? This ghost says her name is Zelda or something silly like that! I can't wait to get to tear her apart molecule by molecule, dissecting her for all the ghouly goodness she contains!" He laughed as the little ghost's facial features quickly morphed into that of absolute horror "But first, I need to go find your mother. Dissecting ghostly molecules is what married couples do Danny, they don't teach you that in Health Class!"

As the large man bounded away with more energy than one would think, Danny eyed the ghost with a frown "So, are you Awake this loop? You're the pirate one, right?"

The ghost shook her head, looking lost and confused. Apparently, she wasn't awake this loop.

"Oh, what about the masks?" Again she shook her head "Can Link turn into a Wolf?" Another head shake. "A Painting?"

Strike four, he was definitely out.

But if so, what was going...

The sound of a train being very, very close at hand rang out from the Ghost Zone Portal.

* * *

><p>25.3 - (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda Awoke. She was in a Twilight Princess loop again, though her loop memories showed that Ganondorf was already defeated. This raised the question, 'why so late in the loop?'<p>

Her concentration was interrupted by someone walking towards her.

"State your business."

"The Emperor, Kotal Kahn is here to discuss an alliance to protect each other from Raiden's wrath."

Ah, a Mortal Kombat loop. And one where Raiden's corrupted.

But who's Kotal Kahn?

Zelda nodded.

"Very well. I'll be in the Hall of Converse." Zelda got up and walked to the hall, where she and Hyrule would join forces with Outworld to make sure Earthrealm doesn't do any funny business.

It took her a few minutes to reach the hall, where a teal-skinned man in Aztec armor sat, sickles on back, and strange lines as well on his person.

"Greetings. I'm Queen Zelda of Hyrule."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am Emperor Kotal Kahn of Outworld."

"So, your predecessor has made threats of invasion for many years."

"I assure you that I am not Shao Kahn at all. His ambition brought the wrath of the Elder Gods upon him. I took the mantle from a ruinous tyrant."

"Mileena."

"Yes. She is dead."

Zelda nodded, internally worried about his brutal efficiency in keeping absolute power.

"I assume that there's people who have shown ambition against you."

"My former advisor D'Vorah. She betrayed me. The Earthrealmers imprisoned her. Shinnok is a threat no more."

Zelda closed her eyes.

"My ancestors were unsure of joining forces with Earthrealm themselves against Outworld. Why should we do so with Outworld against Earthrealm?"

Kotal Kahn sighed.

"I have seen many outcomes in many alliances, or lack thereof. I have gained foresight in my life, as well as hindsight. My mistakes live with me to my grave. My accomplishments beyond. I have known events that never happened, and yet have."

Zelda came to a realization.

"You're looping, are you?"

"So are you?"

"A pseudo anchor. Let's talk some more," Zelda grasped his hand. "In Outworld."

Kotal Kahn smiled. Another looper made a friend, in spite of his world's reputation.

Perhaps he'd get more answers too.

Like what Nut Kracker is, and why everyone says that it's worse than Eiken, whatever Eiken is.

* * *

><p>25.4 - (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Phoenix Wright knew that there'd be some loops where he'd have to hurt something. He never liked violence, preferring the legal method better (especially the more fair types). But sometimes legality was a moot point. He would have to fight. It's why he really hated the Marvel vs. Capcom loops (that, and getting punched, shot, and burned a lot.)<p>

This loop, he had replaced the anchor, or rather, a bearer of the anchor, Link.

So with blade and shield in hand, he set off to kill stuff, as he'd put it himself.

* * *

><p>Link was always an action person. Sure, the loops where he wouldn't have to fight were always fun, but this time was different.<p>

Lawyers were some of the most boring people he'd ever dealt with. It was a saving grace that he replaced Phoenix Wright, meaning that there'd be at least something interesting in court.

It was also a good thing that Link was good at listening to just the important bits. If there was filler, good, less work.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Larry Butz."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor." Winston Payne said.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor."

His first case, and his gut was feeling like a stab wound.

Basically, his natural reaction for this Loop.

* * *

><p>25.5 - (ToaMataNui5000)<p>

* * *

><p>Link always found this fused variant interesting. Sure, he had no use for either the Soul Edge or Soul Calibur (not that they could be removed from this world in the first place), but competitively facing down opponents of various weapon styles to train off of was a nice change of pace. That was an idea that several loopers, like Kratos, Ezio, and surprisingly Yoda and Anakin, could agree upon. However, it was quite surprising to everyone that this branch seemed to lack its own loopers...<p>

At least until now, that is. How could Link tell? His current opponent, a ninja known as Taki, was actually giving him a challenge. And a very aggressive one at that. He held up his Hylian Shield to block her incoming daggers, which he countered with a jab to the ninja's legs. As she staggered back, Taki threw a smoke bomb, which Link cleared with a burst of Farore's Wind. However, she was nowhere in sight. A roof shingle settling made Link turn, finding Taki diving towards him, an electrical aura surrounding her knives. He pulled out a clawshot, snagged Taki, and slammed her to the ground. He then approached the fallen warrior, and pointed his sword down at her.

"Concede?" The Hero Of Time asked.

"Not until I get answers," she groaned. She climbed to all fours, still gripping her blades. "You're the one causing time to repeat, aren't you?"

"Seriously! You've gone all these loops without even bothering to ask anyone until now?"

"I did! Several times over through various methods; Not all of them pretty."

"Including the ones that weren't here as often, much like me?"

"I attempted killing them all on sight, assuming they were the culprits. The black armored one and the small, green imp I could never even approach. The white one with tattoos always killed me first, and this is the first time you've ever actually spoken."

"Damn," Link was shocked by this turn of events. Going so long without even an admin explaining the situation, and remaining asleep whenever someone else was looping in. No wonder Taki took a turn for the violently desperate. "You need the speech badly."

"Do I look in a talking mood?"

"No, but neither do you seem to be in a fighting one. So I suggest you get comfortable and listen. You won't be a good teacher to Natsu if you can't be a student yourself."

"How do you..."

"I've lived long enough to fight your apprentice sometimes. She's practically a second Naruto. But that's besides the point. You see, it all began with a tree..."

* * *

><p>When Link finished, Taki rolled her eyes. "You honestly expect me to believe that a whole multiverse is time-looping just like me, and it's because some tree from Norse mythology is broken?"<p>

"I know it sounds crazy. Almost everyone reacts the same upon finding out. But trust me, it's true."

"Prove it."

Sighing, Link reached into his subspace pocket and pulled out a couple of items. One was a copy of Twilight Sparkle's introductory book, another was a pair of Taki's own blades. She obviously gasped. "What is this sorcery! How do you have copies of Rekkimaru and Mekkimaru!"

"I won them off an unawake version of you. As to how I pulled them out of the blue, I'll only tell you after you read that." He gestured to the book. And on that note, Link rose up to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To handled Nightmare, so you have no excuse to not catch up on your research," Link chuckled. "Come find me when you've finished, so I can test and teach you more."

As the Hylian pseudo-anchor left, Taki sighed. "I miss the days where Volgo was the only outlandish thing here..."

* * *

><p>25.6 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>"Of all the known Loopers to replace Volvagia," he said, looking at the man in the dragon-esque armor, "it HAD to be the Second Super Pervert."<p>

_GREAT WELSH VOLVAGIA  
>ISSEI HYOUDOU<em>

Indeed, Link had expected something...LESS humanoid than the wielder of the Boosted Gear, who was clad in red armor in a stance similar to Captain Falcon's.

"I won't say it hasn't been an experience working with Gama-Sennin," Issei said, still in the Boosted Gear. "Heck, I wasn't even here to fight, but to talk. Then again, we're in the middle of a volcano, so I think we have to make it quick."

Link nodded as he looked around. "So, what happened to Darunia? I saw him head in to face you due to the whole Goron Crisis."

"If you're wondering if I faced him in combat," Issei replied, "then you'd be right. I Woke up as soon as he stepped into the field." Link cringed. "Yeah, imagine my horror when I found out I was being controlled by the Dark Lord and captured the Rock People, and I had no choice but to defend myself. I have to admit, even without the hammer, the guy packed quite the punch."

"Gorons are known for their physical strength," Link said, contemplating the weapon he was going to use against the holder of Great Red. "You didn't want to kill him, did you?"

"The man was a leader of his people and one of the more noble souls I've encountered," he said. "What convinced me to do so was that you'd be around...his Brother in Arms." Issei groaned. "Guess I've got no choice but to pay the piper, do I?"

"There's a time to mourn and a time to fight," Link said. "And mourning comes AFTER the fight. I know you're a nice guy, but considering what plagues this era, we've no choice. Besides, time can be rewritten...well, in this era."

Issei then gave out a smirk. "Maybe next time we meet, I'll give you a copy of the book Gama-Sennin and I made," he said. "And before you ask, it was approved by Hermoine Granger herself while discussing the philosophy of the Harem."

The urge to face-palm was great, but Link didn't have a moment to spare. "This raises questions I'm not in the mood to answer," he said, raising his sword as Issei took a fighting pose. "All I ask is that you don't hold back."

"If I have to honor the man's wish," Issei replied, "then go all out, explosives included."

Link and Issei then charged each other, knight vs dragon.

* * *

><p>25.7 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>Link then smirked as he faced off against the Golden Ego known as Gilgamesh, who was replacing Ganondorf this Loop.<p>

"Your kingdom is in ruins," Gilgamesh replied, "your weapons broken, and your Princess nowhere to be found. I demand to know, Mongrel, why you're still smiling when all hope is lost!?"

Link then slipped on a certain gauntlet-like computer and smirked. "Let's just say that I've learned a few tricks or two," he said.

Before Gilgamesh could reply, Link brought out a ball and chain as his glove turned into gauntlets.

What set the King of Heroes off, however, was the ball on the chain BARKING. Like a mongrel dog.

"What mockery is this?" Gilgamesh yelled, about to strike with Gate of Babylon. "You bring out some common pet to face me, the King of Heroes himself!? I will not tolerate this impu..."

Gilgamesh couldn't exactly finish as Link swung the Chain Chomp towards Gilgamesh. The monster bit into the armor of the King of Heroes, before Link twisted the monstrous chain to smash Gilgamesh into the floor as well as a few walls, the Chain Chomp barking along the way. He then left Gilgamesh on the floor, before bringing the Chain Chomp down in a meteor blow.

When Gilgamesh was confirmed to be in severe pain, Link retracted the Chain Chomp as the gauntlets turned into the unassuming glove.

"I love the Power Glove," Link replied. "It's so bad."

Gilgamesh was too busy wheezing in pain to respond.

* * *

><p>25.8 - (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>"So, I finally meet the infamous Gordon Freeman." Link remarked as he saw theoretical physicist.<p>

"Yep, in the goddamn flesh, and you're Link, or one of those assholes that are just a different blonde guy with the same name."

Link paused, confused, considering that from what he had heard, Gordon was supposed to be mute.

But then again, so was he.

"More talkative than I expected."

"I-"

"Could say the same, I've heard that before."

"Hey, stop interrupting me, you bastard!"

"I'm armed with a sword."

"Well... I'm armed with a crowbar. Bet you didn't think about that, did you?"

"...The businessman that looks off took your guns, didn't he?"

"...Yeah, but he didn't count on the subspace pocket!"

"Okay..."

"Except he just teleports it away, so yeah, I don't even bother anymore and I have no idea who he is at all!"

"Or what he is."

"I'm not making assumptions, but you are."

"Really now?"

Gordon sighed.

"Fine, you're right. Jesus, you've seen what the hell I've seen, right? Holograms, aliens, army dumbasses killing each other, in my world, I'm the smartest. Really, I am!"

"Oh, quit your whining."

"I'm not whining, I'm complaining!"

"Like Rarity."

"Who?"

"Equestrian."

"Another mention of those fucking horses. I swear, if I end up in that horse world..."

"You do realize that you jinxed yourself, did you?"

"..."

* * *

><p>"Twilight, there's a new looper swearing up a storm near the Everfree Forest." Rainbow Dash said.<p>

Twilight groaned, and closed her book.

"Lemme talk to them."

* * *

><p>25.9 - (Half Baked Cat and Awesomedude17)<p>

Welcome to Night-Vale

* * *

><p>In the Night Vale studio, Cecil and Malon sat as Intern Francis turned on the 'On-Air' sign and did a count down. When he reached 0, Cecil smirked as he leaned in and began the show.<p>

"It is not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate. It is entirely too early to forget how to hate. The veil of hatred protects those we love. Welcome to Night Vale."

With that, Cecil pressed a button to start the short intro music before continuing, "Today, dear listeners, we have a special treat for you. As you should know, if you have been listening to the midnight special previous recorded in another time and place broadcasts, time is looping for some of us. Some of us experience more loops than others. And today, we have one of these loopers in the booth with me. Malon, you know, the rancher. Welcome Malon."

"I'm glad to be here Cecil. You know, you remind me of some of my personal work," Malon pointed out.

"What kind?" Cecil asked, intrigued.

"Well, beside being a rancher at Lon Lon Ranch, I also do biological testing. My personal favorite is the Cucco-Tyranid hybrid I made."

"Tyranids? I don't believe I've ever heard of them. Mind explaining them to me?"

"Those thing basically eat things to assimilate their DNA, so I took one, and tried to make a hybrid between it and the Cuccos I had. The first experiments didn't go well... it ate them."

"Waste of perfectly good bird, I assume?"

"Well, the Tyranid died, after an entire horde tore it apart."

"What a shame. Anyways, I have found that many loopers have been unnerved initially by our fair little town. Normally they cite how we react so calmly to what they call 'disasters' and an 'oppressive, secretive government' . How have you found your stay in Night Vale been so far?"

"At first, I was a bit confused. Not scared, just confused. Hyrule is a world full of monsters so this town's basically that times four."

"If I recall, Hyrule is a large country with a city built around a castle and several small towns, while we are only a small town."

"Concentration of dangers. How neat. Anyway, this place was weird, but I managed to make a new friend already!"

"Yes, Carlos has told me about you and your... common interests."

"Don't worry, I think you're both a cute couple."

"Thank you very much, Malon. Carlos is my beautiful little scientist. Oh, how I love him."

"Cecil, your geekiness is showing!" Malon teased.

"Oh, uh... Well... Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for my brief moment of unprofessionalism, but you all know how I am around topics involving that dashing man."

Malon chuckled, right before Cecil continued.

"Anyway, Carlos and I exchanged hot-topic science tips, and gave him a name to remember so he'd find another science buddy."

"May I ask who?"

"Sakura Haruno."

Cecil's eye twitched and he cleared his throat.

"I... heard much about... her."

"Don't worry, she's better now."

"She still can have... moments..."

"...Maybe I should tell him that-"

"No no, I'll tell him, it'll be fine. Anyway, how about another topic?"

Malon cringed. She probably did something wrong here.

"Yes. Well, I have heard that in addition to raising those Cuccos, which, for those who don't follow Ranching Monthly, are a nigh-indestructible and short tempered chicken with the pack instinct of a pack of ravenous wolves, that you also raise horses. In particular, you have raised Epona, the horse many claim is the real hero of your home dimension."

"Of course. Link may be the one who holds the sword and kills the monsters, but how does he get to those places in the first place? Does he walk? No, he uses Epona. She's a strong mare, probably stronger than the Equestrians!"

"Who, if I recall, stopped the oppressive government of the one called Sombra many times thanks to these time loops using nothing more than a heart shaped piece of crystal."

"Well, it was the dragon, but that's besides the point, Epona is the one who brings Link to and from places, and has even kicked in some teeth too."

"Does she bite? Horses have bitten people before."

"Well yeah, she bit off a nose off a monster once. Said monster had information that Ganondorf, Unawake, mind you, was planning to steal the Triforce for his own needs... I don't know all the details really, all I know was that there was a new object called the guillotine, and they put it to use."

"Ah, the guillotine. I visited France once. They were phasing it out while I was visiting there."

"Yeah, I know how it works, but personally, I prefer raising animals. So Epona is the real hero of my world... unless you're talking about my admin, Epona in which she's the real hero of my world simply because she's making sure my world doesn't blow up."

"Admins, for the uninformed, are basically a bunch of gods that fix up the multiverse and are the ones who set up the loops in the first place. Thankfully, none are like the Smiling God of that Desert Otherworld. They tend to be more like the stories we grew up with. You know the ones where the Gods have a tyrannical , iron fisted government over the mortals while they drink wine and generally do as they want."

"Typical fare, really."

"Well, thank you for this interview. Is there any final things you wish to say to the audience before we go to... The Weather," Cecil asked, a finger over a button labeled 'Weather'.

"Yes. I'd like to thank you for this experience, and also, sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Carlos and I... kinda cross-bred the draconic mayoral candidate with a cucco."

A loud roar rang out outside.

"Apology accepted. And now, The Weather."

* * *

><p>25.10<p>

* * *

><p>Link stretched as he stepped into the town square. "Oi, are you bothering this... butterfly?" He paused, looking rather confused. He had heard a voice shouting, and seen the two rough looking men in front of him responding in the middle of town, but he was somewhat confused by the fact that the one shouting for help was a small yellow butterfly.<p>

The two men made some excuses, denying that they were causing any trouble, then declared their love for Dosh, apparently the local currency, and then left. Link shook his head and exchanged an amused glance with Navi, who he had met at the local Guild Office. Apparently, she was the local librarian, and had tracked him down upon receiving the Ping. Turning back, Link found the little butterfly floating directly in front of his face.

"Thank you for that! They really do mean well, but at this point, they are kind of rough around the edges. Still sweet, especially once we go save Chompy from the Doomstone. But I'm rambling, sorry, I tend to do that sometimes, I just get so excited about things, and I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Yuelia, and since I don't recognize you I'm guessing you are a Looper. Are you?"

Link blinked slowly, parsing through the high-speed wall of words that the butterfly had unleashed on him. Next to him, Navi giggled. "Um, yes. I am a Looper. Are you the local Anchor?"

The butterfly seemed to bob up and down in a parody of a nod. "Yep. That's me. I help the hero to save Reveria, though it seems to always be a different hero each time, and most of the time, they're a Looper! I guess I probably shouldn't assume that at the start, but oh well."

Navi smiled and chimed in. "That's really neat! I'm usually the guide for Link here, helping keep him out of trouble and everything. He certainly needs it." Navi and Yuelia both giggled at the mock offended look on Link's face. "I'm usually a fairy, so most Loops I get stuck being small, but don't worry, you'll figure out how to turn to human-sized in no time."

"Huh?" Yuelia wiggled a bit. "Oh, yeah, I guess I'm still a butterfly. I forgot about that." There was a twinkle of light, and the small yellow butterfly was replaced with a blonde girl dressed in a white dress and veil. "Ta-da! I just chose to go around as a butterfly to be more discrete."

Navi's jaw dropped. "But... wha... took me ages... you get it in Baseline...no fair..." her voice trailed off into depressed mumbles.

Link sighed, patting Navi on the head, while Yuelia looked politely confused.

* * *

><p>25.11<p>

* * *

><p>"So, we're agreed then? Tomorrow, I'll set out to rescue Peach from wherever Bowser has stashed her, and you'll head out to get the Master Sword and stop Ganondorf."<p>

"It's-a deal!" Mario grinned as he reached out and shook Link's hand. "And whoever manages to-a get back here first, wins!"

Link nodded, then the two headed out to prepare.

* * *

><p>Link paused again atop a hill, pulling out a Magic Compass and carefully lining it up with his map. 'Let's see, so Peach is reading as being that was, which, when combined with my other marks... puts her right... there!' Link circled a small dot on the map, which marked the border town of Boom Shroom Town, right on the edge of Goron and Mushroom Kingdom territory. Dusting himself off, Link rolled up the map and started down the hill at a steady pace. 'Look out, Bowser, here I come.'<p>

* * *

><p>*Boing* Mario bounced, kicking off of a wall, and flipped up to a higher level. He paused in front of yet another intricately locked door. One good swing of his hammer took care of the lock, and Mario ducked through, racing at top speed along the newly revealed corridor. He had long mastered all of the little tricks for doing speed runs, and he wasn't about to let little things like proper dungeon set-up stand in his way. 'Look out, Ganondorf, here I come!'<p>

* * *

><p>"GAH!" Link yelped as he rolled to the side, barely avoiding one of the many energy spheres that were randomly bouncing around the room. Peach was off to one side, peeking out occasionally from behind a thick wooden table, before ducking back when any of the bouncing balls of death came to close.<p>

Link swung his sword, knocking one of the projectiles back, and bashed with his shield at the same time, knocking over one of the robotic troops that was relentlessly marching towards him. However, he then had to block with his shield, when the projectile he knocked away was vacuumed up by the strange hat his foe was wearing, and shot back at him at twice the speed. 'Where the hell is Bowser?!'

Through all the chaos, the strange green man he was fighting just kept screaming. "I HAVE FURY!"

* * *

><p>*WHAM WHAM WHAM* Mario frantically smacked around with his hammer, bashing all around him to keep the disgusting tentacles at bay. They kept creeping in from all sides, wriggling and grasping. Pausing just long enough to pull out a Fire Flower, Mario quickly dowsed the tendrils in flames, sweeping it back and forth as he leapt up into the branches of a nearby tree to catch his breath.<p>

"Mama mia. This is nothing like Ganondorf."

In the middle of the clearing he had just vacated, a thin masked figure stood laughing, while tendrils of darkness stretched out around it, glowing yellow eyes burning behind a purple mask. "What's the matter? Don't you want to play with me? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

><p>Ganondorf raised his glass and tapped it against Bowser's large mug. The two of them were seated in one of Bowser's larger flying machines, a crystal ball linked to some scrying spells Ganondorf had tied together projecting on the table in front of them, showing both of their 'heroes' fighting for their lives, or at least, their sanity.<p>

"A toast, to turning tables." Ganondorf stated, grinning, before taking a long sip.

"Yah yah." Bowser took a long swig of his own. "Serves 'em right, thinking they can just swap with no notice. Joke's on them..."

Ganondorf nodded, grinning.

* * *

><p>25.1 (cont.)<p>

* * *

><p>Princess Zelda had to admit, three centuries passed faster than she thought it would, it seemed as if it was just yesterday that she'd Awoke. She had a little time, so she chose to reflect on the choices she'd made.<p>

To start off, she'd found the Sheikah line around the hundred year mark, and at around that time Ganondorf had been born to the Gerudo line, the first male in a century just like back home. His subsequent death and rebirth a century later confirmed that loopers could be born and Awaken multiple time in the same loop.

Sadly the Hylian line had dovetailed completely into the Skyloft line a few years back, the Hylians were fragile, yet they were too useful to leave off the battlefield, that coupled with an extremely low birth rate had lead to Zelda marrying off the last Hylian into the Skyloft line in a desperate attempt to have them present in the final battle in spirit if nothing else.

The result was a baby boy of the "Trickshot" class with a unique trait called "Divine Mercy," a trait that allowed him to access all of his class talents at the same time, even though most were meant to be mutually exclusive.

That boy also happened to be an Awake Link, who'd hit his prime just before the final battle.

In fact both Impa (a Boomslinger) and Ganondorf (a Boomstriker) were also similarly Awake and in ideal condition for the final battle.

That plus Minda and Navi (a Shadowjack and Enforcer respectively) showing up at the last minute had tipped things in her favor immeasurably.

Honestly, things couldn't have turned out better if she'd planned this whole thing out.

"You've done pretty well here Princess," Hunter said, "though the outer lands have high levels of corruption, none of our lands have fallen."

"And considering that we have five fully trained heroes with artifact weapons, we should be ready." Cabe added.

"Then let's lure the Cadence here and finish this loop!" Zelda ordered as she let her mind drift to the battlefield one last time.

* * *

><p>The five champions were a sight to behold.<p>

First was Ganondorf wielding the caber known as "Tyrant's Wrath," it was covered in menacing spikes and whatever it hit would be subject to a localized explosion.

Minda's caber was different, dubbed the "Hour of Twilight," it had a somewhat ethereal look to it, and enemies hit by it seemed to shift into another dimension, one where they could neither cause harm to nor be harmed by anyone but Minda. They'd also take more damage from her attacks in that state, but being attacked brought them back to reality.

Navi was in a human form this time, and had an oversized crossbow called the "Deku Greatbow" it had a long delay between firings, but the arrows were massive; anything in one's flightpath died instantly.

Link's weapon was a crossbow called "Loftwing's Fury," decorated in feathers and having a beak shaped bow, anything hit by its arrows was sent flying backwards until it hit something of greater mass, this ensured that the enemy would be stunned for quite a while, typically long enough for Navi to have reloaded.

Impa's weapon was a flask-thrower/shield called "Protector's Vigil," where normally allies caught in the blast radius of an alchemist's flask would be hurt as if caught by a grenade, Impa's thrower was an exception; allies caught in her blasts would instead be healed and rendered invisible to foes, while the Cadence's pawns would still be blown to bits.

It was five powerful loopers and their overpowered weapons against an endless swarm of the Cadence's most powerful pawns.

To be honest, Zelda thought that the giant talking chalice preparing to wipe out the Cadence with a supercharged spell was overkill.

Then said chalice summoned every hero she'd commanded over the last three hundred years, and a few loopers she hadn't.

"Where did they come from?" Zelda asked.

"Every hero to ever die here has had their ashes poured into The Chalice," Hunter said, "even loopers."

"That means we can summon 'Shades' of past heroes," Cabe explained, "think of them as weaker versions of the real things."

"A normal Shade will retain all the power they had in life," Hunter informed Zelda, "but loopers take their power with them when they leave, so their Shade is no stronger than the average one."

"Still summoning an army on demand is pretty useful." Cabe commented. "But enough talk, it's time to crush the Cadence!"

* * *

><p>It had been a slaughter, none of the pawns could touch the chalice. Still, the battle had been a sight to behold, there were quite literally mountains of dead Cadence at the end of it.<p>

"Well Princess it's been fun," Cabe said, "I'll be blunt: You. Kick. Ass."

"Indeed, it has been an enjoyable few centuries," Hunter said, "but now we must part. Do take care of yourself, won't you?"

"This has been fun," Zelda said, "exhausting, but fun. We should do this again sometime, but now I need a nap."

* * *

><p>25.9 (cont.)<p>

* * *

><p>"We are back and it would seem there is a new pet available at the animal shelter for adoption. It is being called a drucco. It has three heads, scales, and wings that should not allow it to fly, but it is indeed able to fly. And it is adorable. Its little poisonous fangs and the little puffs of flames it sometimes burps up are so charming. If I did not already have Khoshekh, I might adopt one myself. Sadly, I do not earn enough to support a second pet."<p>

"On an unrelated note, to the family of Intern Francis, you have our condolences. He was a fine intern that died bravely corralling the drucco out of the station."

"Anyways, I would like to once again thank Malon for coming on and doing this interview. And stay tuned next for this interview played back in reverse at double speed. Good night, Night Vale. Good night."

* * *

><p>25.1 - Zelda loves the chance to use her matchmaking prowess in new ways with the Massive Chalice.<p>

25.2 - The Human Side of the portal was a much bumpier ride than Link was expecting.

25.3 - Politeness goes farther than violence.

25.4 - Job Dissatisfaction

25.5 - Of course she's mistrusting, she's a ninja!

25.6 - Issei's dragon hoard is not quite safe for work.

25.7 - Chain Chomp will eat your humble pie, even as it is delivering it to you.

25.8 - Unsilenced protagonists.

25.9 - Just another day in Night Vale.

25.10 - Yuelia's life is truly Navi's fantasy.

25.11 - The bait and switch got baited and swapped.


	26. Chapter 26

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: Strange Happenings in Hyrule

Disclaimer: This chapter is a bit shorter, but also a bit stranger, and I don't own anything except for the bits that I do. Confused? Gooood...

* * *

><p>26.1 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>Link was flabbergasted.<p>

"Tyranids?" he yelled. "She tried to crossbreed...TYRANIDS with Cuccos?"

After a few minutes of stuttering, he then sat down and took a deep breath.

"We're still new here," the Sorceress, or rather Lana in control of the body, said. "What's a Tyranid?"

Link cringed. "Basically a hive mind of the more savage species in the Dark Millennium. I've only heard it from word of mouth, so I don't know the full story, but it involves making sure they weren't completely activated as a Looper or else we'd all be overrun by now."

Cia, however, cringed. "And they called ME insane," she muttered. "What are you going to do about that?"

"Next time we're all Awake, we're staging an Intervention. ALL of us."

* * *

><p>26.2 - Zerorock41<p>

* * *

><p>It was just another day on Outset Island. Ganon was Awake and promised to give Link a break this time around, leaving the currently-prepubescent pseudo-Anchor to simply enjoy his childhood.<p>

At the moment, he was getting some water for his Grandma, when Aryll suddenly appeared, shouting "Hi, Big Brother!"

"Gah!" Link dropped the pot he was holding, causing it to break and revealing a blue rupee.

Aryll looked sad when she realized she made a mistake, "Sorry, Big Bro."

Link sighed, "At least there was five rupees in that. Don't spook me like that Sis."

Aryll smiled and promised not to scare him again. As she began to walk away, Link double-taked and looked again, seeing something that wasn't there normally.

"Hey Aryll. Where did you get that ribbon?"

Aryll froze, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of her face. "Oh, I forgot. Sorry Big Bro, gotta go-"

"Aryll," Link tapped his foot.

"Sorry Big Brother. I know you and Grandma said not to go to the fairy forest but I saw something weird and just had to know."

Link quirked an eyebrow, "Weird?"

"Yeah. I saw a weird yellow light and thought it was a fairy, so I snuck into the forest to try and catch them. But when I got inside, I got lost and these weird monsters with pig snouts attacked me. But then, this girl with blond hair like you and me, and weird looking clothes used a banging stick to scare them off."

"Banging stick?"

"Yeah, she pointed up with it, did something, and it made a big bang sound. She was really nice and after she took me to the exit, she gave me this nice looking ribbon."

"Well that was nice of her. What was her name?"

Aryll looked sad, "She said she didn't know. All she said was that neither of us belonged there, and that she was happy someone had seen her."

Link closed his eyes in thought. He then said, "Well, I'll just have to find some way to thank her. You, on the other hand, are gonna march straight to Grandma and tell her what you did wrong."

"I know. I'm sorry."

As Aryll walked back home, Link looked at the mountaintop and smiled.

"Thanks for saving my sister, Mami-san."

* * *

><p>26.3 - (Edvarius)<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke in an unusual position for him. He was bound completely immobile by strong ropes. 'Am I replacing Zelda this loop? But that wouldn't explain why I feel so sticky. At least I hope it doesn't explain why I feel so sticky. No, no, I feel gritty too.'<p>

"Alright boy," a man bellowed, and Link looked up to see a man in a dirty robe towering over him, "I'm going to make a hero out of you even if it kills you. Now you just sit tight, and maybe you'll learn something by osmosis." The man then pulled out a tattered looking manuscript and stared at it dumbfounded. "At least I think that might be how this works."

"What are…" Link started to question before the man suddenly grabbed him by the collar and hefted him into the air. Link struggled against his bounds, but the man apparently knew what he was doing there at least. "Let me go! When I get out of this I-aaahhhh!" The man let Link go alright, right into a deep pit. The impacted with the ground rattled Link's teeth, but he was otherwise unharmed. 'OK, first get out of these ropes, then check my loop memories to find out just what is… that sound?' It was a sound Link had heard before many times, but it never seemed as ominous before as it did echoing in this deep pit. It was the sound of cuccos. Dozens of them. And Link realized to his horror what the sticky and gritty feeling was. He had been pasted head to toe with birdseed.

Link's screams rang out through the woods as the ravenous cucco swarm fell upon him.

* * *

><p>26.4<p>

* * *

><p>"Ok, so, Ganondorf is a no-brainer, I mean, let's be honest, you have been the epitome of mindless anger."<p>

Ganondorf frowned. "No offense meant, of course."

Link shrugged. "Maybe a tiny bit of offense." He dodged the incoming fireball, and turned to face Zelda. "And given your royal heritage, you can fit right in with disgust."

Zelda raised her eyebrow. "Because politicians are disgusting?"

"I was going to say for your impeccable fashion sense."

"Nice save." Vaati snorted from where he was moping on the floor.

"Thanks." Link threw his purple-sleeved arms in the air. "But I don't understand why I'm Fear! I'm the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, for Farore's sake!"

"Bwakak!"

"AHHH!" Link jumped in the air, drawing out a comically short sword out of his pouch and waving it wildly as he dove behind the couch. After a couple of moments, he stuck his head back out, glaring at Ganondorf, who had imitated a Cucco's cry. "I hold that that is the Loop's fault."

Vaati moaned louder from his place on the tile. "And of course, I'm stuck in the fish princess's head with you lot for the foreseeable future. Joy."

"Present!" Malon popped up from behind the couch next to Link, who flailed away in a panic.

* * *

><p>26.5 - (Leviticus Wilkes)<p>

* * *

><p>Seven years after the loop had begun, Link longingly gazed at the shoreline that his merchant vessel was approaching. At the beginning, Link had gotten the signal that both Zelda and Ganondorf were awake, and that Ganondorf didn't intend to bring ruin and desolation to Hyrule this loop. So, seeing as he had a few years to kill, Link had embraced his inner sailor, taken a non-sentient copy of the red king from his pocket, and journeyed to the far seas, charting their blue waters. It was a journey fraught with perils, beauties, wonders, and mayhem. He had loved every moment of his time at sea, even considering the pirate kidnappings, the very nearly dodged marriage, and his time in the far away Akaver Desert. Now, with only a few weeks to go in the loop, it was time for Link to come home.<p>

As the Red King drifted into the deep blue bay, the first sights that Link saw sent his previously soaring spirits into a death spiral. Plastered along the walls of the still distant buildings were posters, decrying "Queen Zelda" and her anarchist, capitalist ways. People ran too and fro, in drab browns and dark grays, as smoke belched from the stained factories and dyed the sky a murky white. It was only the sight of a massive, familiar bulk that eased Link's mind, even if it was only by a degree. Obviously, Ganondorf had decided to wait at the dock for him. It would have been a kind gesture... if he hadn't been wielding a hammer and sickle.

Link came into the dock and tied down the Red King, Ganondorf helpfully pulling from the dock. Glancing around, Link shook his head in disapproval. "So this is what you decided to do. Instead of... conquering the world, you just kicked off a Cold War with yourself playing Russia."

Ganondorf smiled. "Well, it was Zelda's idea after all. Who would win? A conformist, communist state, or a capitalist state with objectivism as a primary tenet?"

"Please tell me you kept the human rights violations to a minimum."

"Uh..."

* * *

><p><em>Flashback:<em>

"For your insolence and rebellion, you are hereby sentence to five days continuous tickling," Ganondorf decreed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Navi screamed.

_End Flashback._

* * *

><p>"I think I did."<p>

"Oh boy."

* * *

><p>26.6 - Zerorock41<p>

* * *

><p>"Why..."<p>

The young Twili known only as Zant ran angrily to the top of Castle of Twilight. In his mind, the young boy was throwing quite the temper tantrum.

"What makes her so special? I'm just as strong. I would make a great leader for our tribe. Damn it all!"

As he ran out onto the balcony, Zant froze as he saw a small... thing standing there. It was an odd little thing. Skin that seemingly held color, hair that shined like gold, and bizarre clothes that the seamstresses of the tribe could only dream of imitating.

The thing spoke, "What a sad looking world."

"Huh?" Zant looked out with her (the voice made him think it was a her), and he saw the same as he always had: a world cast in eternal dusk, dreary colors all around, and such little activity. It was maddening.

"I know isn't it?" said Zant, "My people were cast here long ago for standing against the gods. It is time those damn Hylians know what we had to endure."

"Must humans suffer for your own people's mistake?"

"Of course. But my damnable king refuses to understand. Doesn't he realize? We have been cast out long enough. It is time we left this tiny wasteland and returned to the world that scorned us!"

The blond thing closed her eyes, "Is it revenge you seek? Or do you seek escape? Freedom?"

"With our freedom, we Twili will seek revenge!"

"To what end? Would it not be enough to see the world once more?"

Zant was silent, caught off guard.

She continued, "Freedom is a wonderful thing. It is not something to be abused. Would you not want to feel the sun shining on your faces? Wouldn't it be nice to see the great world out there? To see its sights, hear its sounds, feel its wind? The way I see it, freedom like that is a power unto itself."

Zant was speechless. What was this thing? How could it simply think that a small breeze is enough to make someone happy? How could it think of freedom as power? Shouldn't it be the other way around? What good would the warmth of the sun be? The smiling faces of his fellow Twili. The freedom to explore, research, learn and become strong on his own...

It was all so enticing! He had been going about it all wrong! He needed to free his fellow Twili! Conquest? Bah, Hylians were so needy, always praying to their silent gods. It would be a pain to manage them. If he could convince the king that their people needed freedom...

"Thank you. You kept me from going down a dark path," said Zant after a short while.

The girl smiled, "You're quite welcome sir."

"Just one question. Who are you?"

The girl kept smiling, despite the tears that appeared on her face, "I want to know that myself."

She disappeared.

* * *

><p>26.7 - (Awesomedude17)<p>

* * *

><p>Link blew some bubble-gum from his mouth as he tapped the floor with a wooden baseball bat.<p>

"You honestly think that that little thing can knock the moon away?" The Skull Kid asked.

"Yes."

"... Wow."

As the moon approached, the Skull Kid shook his head, and began to laugh.

Link began to ready himself.

Soon, the moon was but mere meters away.

Link swung the bat...

*crack!*

...and the moon was sent flying back into space...

*ding* **GAME!  
><strong>  
>...too far.<p>

Majora promptly imploded, releasing the Skull Kid, who fell to the ground.

Link, meanwhile, cursed himself.

"Dang it, too much swing power. Maybe next time I'll do it without being a southpaw."

* * *

><p>(Many Loops Later)<p>

"And that's how the Great Flood happened this loop? You batted the moon out of orbit?" Zelda, in the form of Tetra, said in the most deadpan manner she could muster.

"Sorry." Link muttered.

The princess turned pirate captain facepalmed. What compelled Link to always go for overkill?

* * *

><p>26.8<p>

* * *

><p>Link clambered into the saddle, then leaned forward to pat Epona on the neck. "Ok, girl, we're getting used to this, so just keep going, regardless of what happens."<p>

Epona snorted, and Link leaned back, pulling up on the reins. With a gentle kick, he nudged Epona into action, and then they quickly began to pick up speed.

Instantly, strains of music began to sound out of nowhere. It started with a sharp jolt, and filled in with what Link recognized as electric guitar and steady drum beats. An intermixed version of the Hyrulian Anthem started up within it shortly thereafter.

_Dah, dundun dah, dahda dunda dah, dun dahda dah!_

Epona jolted slightly at the sounds, but kept up the pace, while Link simply sighed. It had been somewhat cool at first, but now he really wished that whatever force was giving him accompanying theme music this Loop would knock it off. He was not looking forward to trying to sneak into Ganon's Lair with whatever music it picked for that occasion.

* * *

><p>26.9 - (Crossoverpairinglover)<p>

* * *

><p>Sitting at a bar, a hunched over Koopa and a Gerudo King were taking long gulps of the offered liquid.<p>

All around them, the bar was filled with various characters of a 'evil' persuasion, though they were the only two loopers there. Lysandre was laughing about something with Archie, DJ Octavio and Mother Brain were discussing something about jars, Doctors Wily and Eggman were trying to make themselves sound cooler than they actually were, and Porky was shouting something bratty at Bowser Jr, who seemed to be the mature one in the conversation.

"So, any luck finding that missing sword of yours?" Bowser asked Ganondorf, who scowled his way.

"Did you remember not to put self destruct buttons near your bridges?"

Bowser growled, ready to start a bar fight with the King of Darkness, before the bar doors (Old Wild West Saloon style) were slammed open, as a militaristic boot sound began echoing through the bar.

The room went silent, with everyone looking the guy's way, from Giovanni (who had been looking over some reports), to Hades (who had put a fork through Blinky and was about to eat the Ghost).

The being who entered, an anthropomorphic wolf, drew a pistol from his side and pointed it into the room.

**WOLF HOWLS! **

Bowser and Ganondorf exchanged 'oh, it's that kind of loop' looks at the announcement from nowhere, their imminent brawl forgotten.

A huge form began to rise from the back of the room, a form that quickly drew a Blunderbuss and fired it at Wolf.

The space wolf barrel rolled out of the blast, which shattered chair after chair and sent the entire Villains bar into a panic.

As a brawl the likes one would only see in Magnolia's Wizard Guild began, the Blunderbuss's owner was revealed to be a rather obese green, anthropomorphic Crocodile with a crown on his head.

**KING K. ROOL GOES BANANAS! **

The two promptly began a one-on-one melee amidst the bigger overall brawl.

Bowser and Ganondorf, however, ignored the fight.

"So, the Wolf's back and they let him in?" Bowser complained as he lazily rose his hand into the air to grab his son, who had been knocked out of his Clown Car and was thrown his way.

Setting his KO'd form next to him in the bar, Bowser turned to Ganondorf in a manner that requested an answer.

Ganondorf sensed that Ridley was being thrown his way, and knocked him out of the way with a back handed Warlock Punch without even looking.

"Well, they did invite the Dog."

* * *

><p>26.10 - (Zerorock41)<p>

* * *

><p>Zelda was feeling rather stupid. Here she was, minding her own business, when suddenly Agahnim shows up and captures her. Not helping matters was that her Pocket and Out-of-Loop abilities weren't working. So now she was waiting in a stuffy cell sending out a psychic distress call to Link for help.<p>

Her calls were answered as she heard a gunshot and saw the Armor Knight guarding her... fall...

Gunshot?

Appearing in front of Zelda was a girl in clothes that were most certainly not Hylian.

The girl spoke, "Are you the one calling for help?"

"Yes I am. Who are you?"

The girl shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I can't answer that right now. This place is dangerous. If you can guide me, I shall lead you to safety."

Zelda was hesitant. Still, worst case scenario, she would get captured again. It's not like Aghanihm would allow her to die.

* * *

><p>As Zelda walked through the doorway into the Sanctuary, she was surprised at the majestic horse waiting for her.<p>

"Aha! Gotcha!" screamed Epona.

Before Zelda could say anything, a flash of what looked like lightning and pixels flew from Epona into the blond girl, who Zelda noticed was starting to fade away.

"What..."

The blond girl disappeared, and Epona wiped some sweat from her mane.

Zelda, having finally found her voice, spoke with an appropriate tone, "What the hell just happened?!"

"Oh hi Zelda. Didn't notice you there. I'm assuming that Phantasm was why you weren't in your cell when Link arrived to save you?"

"I suppose... Wait. What do you mean Phantasm? Who was that girl and where did she go?"

Epona sighed, "That my dear, is one of the last remnants of Mitakihara. The home of Madoka Kaname."

"The Anchor who Ascended? That was her?"

"No Zelda. That was one of her friends. One of her former Loopers in fact. Her name was Mami."

Zelda immediately caught her words. "Was?"

"When Mitakihara was destroyed, the Loopers there somehow managed to survive as these Phantasms. They have locked themselves down to various Loops across Yggdrasil and can randomly manifest in those Loops. Mami is unique in that her Phantasm is present in two Loops, this being one of them."

"Well that's good to know. What did you hit her with before?"

"A tag that I can use to track her if needed. Don't worry. She should be harmless to your Loop. If her behavior here is any indication, she will most likely help where she can. Well, this was nice, but I have to get back to my terminal. Bye Zelda," Epona waved as her Avatar began to fade.

Zelda waved back, "Farewell."

Zelda looked at the empty Sanctuary. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

* * *

><p>26.11 - (masterofgames)<p>

* * *

><p>Navi floated before the enormous crowd of monsters with her microphone. Below her, Link was doing his best to pretend everything was normal as he navigated the dungeon.<p>

"Okay everybody! Our hero has just entered level two, the quiz stage!" Navi shouted, the audience cheering in reply. "The rules here are simple! Link enters a room! Each room has three doors leading onward, and three signs! Each sign has a fact about our world in some way, shape, or form! Link must use his wits here, because while one fact is true, another is a commonly believed mistake, while the third is made up entirely by your own Dark Lord! Link must decide which is which. If he is correct, the first door opens, and he gains treasure or a tool as a reward! If he mixes two of them up, the second door opens, with a trapped chest! He can either take the hit, or ignore it. But! If he gets all three wrong, the third door opens, and he must battle his way past a huge monster to move on!"

Link sighed as he wondered how it all came to this.

"Now, who's ready to play, 'Canon, Fanon, or Ganon'!?"

The crowd roared.

* * *

><p>26.1 - A reaction to a day in Night Vale. And a small spoiler for the next chapter.<p>

26.2 - A stranger battles for the innocent.

26.3 - Unfortunately, Link didn't pick up the Cuccoken.

26.4 - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Brain

26.5 - You don't want to know what they did for treason.

26.6 - A stranger gives good advice.

26.7 - According to the rules, this still only counts as a single home run, so he can only circle the bases once.

26.8 - Theme Music: Not as awesome as you might think.

26.9 - It's time to Smash!

26.10 - A stranger is found and remembered.

26.11 - Navi has had a semi-lucrative career as a monster game show host.


	27. Chapter 27: The Final Chapter

**LEGEND OF ZELDA TIME LOOPS**: Twin Beginnings and Farewells

Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own the Legend of Time. Literally, the last time. I'm not going to say it again. I'm serious...

* * *

><p>27.1 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>When one suffers from migraines, it usually feels like the afflicted is split in two.<p>

From what Ganondorf has seen, the splitting headache is more literal when the Sorceress that was moving to beat him convulsed and abruptly split into two people at once.

"Ow..." the blue-haired woman muttered, getting up. "What happened?" She then looked around and nearly tripped on herself. "Cia? But...I saw her die..." She then flinched as she looked around, recognizing the area. "How is this possible? Wait...she didn't. If this is where I think it is, then...where's the King of Evil?"

"Right behind you," Ganondorf replied, catching her by surprise. "Really, this is not what I expected when an opponent shows up. It's like looking at my Mothers' fusions in reverse."

"GANON!" the blue-haired woman yelled. "I don't know how this is possible, but if you're responsible for this..."

The dark-skinned woman then woke up...almost shaking her head. "This is not what I expected when I decided to face the King of Evil..." she muttered. When she focused on the room, she took a good look at the other woman in shock. "Lana? But...that's impossible..."

"Cia..." Lana muttered. "Look, now's not the time. Right now, we're facing off against Ganondorf..."

"That's the part that confuses me the most," Cia growled. "How can we be separate again? I DIED in your arms the last time we met!"

Lana flinched. "That's what I'm trying to prevent, Cia!"

Ganondorf just looked at the two bickering women as he processed the information, but he was looking annoyed as they took their attention off of him and onto each other, looking ready to fight with a tome and a morning star, respectively.

It was at this point that he made himself known by increasing his killing intent...causing the two sorceresses to turn back to the man before he unleashed one of his blasts.

"If you two are QUITE finished," Ganondorf said, looking annoyed, "I'm pretty sure you're wanting an explanation as to why you two are back where we had our epic fight. And yes, I distinctly remember you two being one when we fought. The only thing I can say is that no, neither she nor I are responsible for this."

Lana glared at the Dark Lord. As outright livid as she was, the lighter half of the Sorceress was waiting for him to explain himself.

The darker half, however, was more skeptical. "As much as we are capable of ripping holes in space and time," she said, "if you really aren't responsible for...this...then how do we know you're telling the truth?"

Ganondorf gave her a stare. "You know my reputation," he said. "You two came here with the intent to stop my reign. When you two split, your chances of even fighting me had diminished because you two can't work well together. If I wanted to kill you both, I'd have done it the moment you started bickering."

After a few moments, Cia backed down. "Fair enough," she said. "Looks like we'll have our discussion later, Lana."

Lana gave a concerned glance, but steeled herself. "As long as it doesn't involve the takeover of Hyrule," she muttered.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Ganondorf said, before seating himself on his throne. "In order to explain the situation, it all starts with this tree known as Yggdrasil..."

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Cia and Lana were confused as they tried to take this all in, Ganondorf finishing his tale as he looked at the sun.<p>

"And that's why we're stuck in a series of Time Loops," Ganondorf replied, "as well as why I'm no longer bearing the Curse of Demise that would have affected the woman's judgment. It's shocking, I'll admit, but you can confirm this with Link and Zelda."

"It's affected Link as well?!" Lana and Cia asked simultaneously.

"Before you jump to conclusions, remember that I said that the Admins chose the Triforce as the Anchor. Oh, and murdering the Princess of Hyrule would only drive Link AWAY from you, Cia."

Cia felt a glare from Lana as she gave Ganondorf a mortified look.

"You're the one who came to me with that line of thought before. There have been a few times I've just played MATCHMAKER involving you two...or three..."

There was a blush from the both of them as footsteps can be heard revealing a green tunic-wearing hero, a Shiekiah with a giant knife, and the Princess, all three of which bore similar looks of shock, before the green warrior stepped forward and smiled.

"Well, at least you two didn't kill each other, or Ganondorf," Link said, walking up to them. Ganondorf snorted.

Zelda held back, still wary of Cia, but relaxed when Link approached them. She and Impa followed along behind.

Impa turned to look towards Ganondorf, frowning. "I thought it was impossible for both halves to Loop, as they share one soul."

"So did I," the male Gerudo replied. "I half-expected Cia to be another Waltz."

"Your Majesty," Lana said, bowing as Cia just looked at Link. "How did you..."

"That's another talk for another time," Zelda said. "Right now...you two have just recently Awakened?"

Cia gave out a nod. "I take it that we're the only ones to wake up with a splitting headache?" she asked Zelda.

"If it was the case, there'd be MORE of me and Zelda running around," Link replied. "Especially with the whole 'Past Life' thing."

"That, I would believe." She then looked at Lana, then at herself...then back at Link, the King of Evil's words ringing in her head. "He's not going to be insightful every Loop, is he?"

"Well, if he's given you two the Welcome to the Multiverse Speech already, yes, you two got off lucky." He then looked at Lana. "Feeling alright, Lana?"

"A little disoriented, but I'm fine," she replied, almost blushing. "Although...it is strange to see you taking notes with Ganondorf."

"It takes a little getting used to," Impa replied. "More-so than being both athletic and plump in different eras. Although...this brings up more questions."

Ganondorf gave Impa a glance, but knew what she was talking about. "Yeah, I did tell them about that issue," he said, looking at the gauntlet with a familiar triangle shape. "I think this may have something to do with it."

Zelda looked at her own Triforce Piece as she looked at the two. "Why is it that whenever all three pieces are active," she said, "a massive headache occurs?" Both Lana and Cia cringed at that, the latter resisting the urge to snark.

* * *

><p>27.2 - (DrTempo)<p>

21.12 cont.

* * *

><p>Naruto chuckled as he returned from his training trip. It wasn't like he needed to take these training trips anymore, but it was nostalgic, and gave visiting Loopers a chance to develop outside of his shadow. As he looked around, he spotted the visiting Looper this Loop, his new teammate and friend, Saria of Kokiri Forest. He was curious to see how she had changed since he'd last seen her two years ago.<p>

She had definitely blossomed, shooting up in height until she was almost as tall as he was. Her hair had gotten longer, now falling towards the middle of her back, but she had it tied into a single ponytail, similar in style to the twin ponytails Tsunade usually wore. Speaking of Tsunade, Saria's relation to her was rather obvious, given some of the... other... ways Saria had " blossomed".

Naruto quickly shook off those thoughts, and raised his hand to wave to her. As beautiful as Saria had become, she didn't compare to Hinata, at least in Naruto's somewhat biased opinion. Though it did appear that she was having some trouble with some "admirers".

Saria spotted him, and Naruto could see the relief in her eyes. She smiled brightly at the amorous men (and one woman) who were talking to her and obviously excused herself, before heading over towards Naruto. The group glared at him briefly, at least until they recognized who he was, then they quickly shuffled off, trying to look nonchalant.

"Hey, Naruto, how have things been?" Saria asked as she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. He returned the hug, and then stepped back, observing her more now that she was closer. She was wearing a battle-dress that was obviously modeled on the forest outfit she wore in her home Loop, though padded and armored and "ninjaified", with several hidden pockets he could see, and probably a few more he couldn't.

"I'm doing great. How are you?"

Saria smiled. "I've been doing pretty well. I've been mastering the stealth tactics Ganondorf-sensei... that still sounds just weird...taught me way back when I started as a a Genin, and honing my skill with the Mokuton."

Naruto chuckled, then glanced at the few stragglers who were still hanging around. "So, how long have you had admirers?"

"A while, really. I am very unused to it."

* * *

><p>As the two of them strolled through the village, Naruto nodded towards a nearby training ground, then said, "Let's see what you have learned, shall we?"<p>

Saria nodded, and the two of them walked over into the empty field. Naruto turned after they reached the small tree near the center of the grounds, and pulled a small silver bell out of a pocket on his outfit. "Remember the Bell Test? You have to do that, only, you can only use tricks that could fit in your own Loop."

"So, mainly Taijutsu and weapons?" Saria frowned thoughtfully, then grinned. "Fine by me."

The two paused thoughtfully, then blurred into motion

* * *

><p>Saria ducked underneath a powerful spinning kick from Naruto, planting her hands on the ground before levering herself up into an inverted kick of her own. Naruto swayed to the side, allowing her foot to pass by his face, then hammered an open palm into her sternum, sending her skidding back.<p>

Her hands swept across the ground, grabbing hold of the Deku Staff that had been knocked from her hands earlier, and she used it to lever herself upright, spinning the staff around once she was standing and sinking into a basic bojutsu stance. She swept the staff from left to right, then back again, before she pushed herself forward into a charge, stabbing with her staff like a spear. Naruto drifted backwards, casually slipping around her attacks, going so far as to bend dramatically at the waist to allow one powerful strike to fly overhead. Exactly what she was waiting for.

Saria released her grip on her staff, while her off hand drifted to a small pouch sewn into the side of her dress. Luckily, the ability to keep large objects in small spaces was definitely native to Hyrule, and so pulling a longsword out of her pouch was definitely within the rules. Naruto let out a loud yelp as Saria's somewhat wild swing slashed across his belt, almost nicking the thread holding the single bell, before he vanished in a poof of smoke with a kawarimi. Saria frowned, allowing her connection to the forest to fill her, and she quickly dashed after the impression of where she felt Naruto.

Nauto was dusted his clothes off as Saria took a long drink of water from her canteen. "Not bad, Saria. Pulling that sword out was a good trick, I didn't expect you to know how to use one."

Saria lowered her bottle and smirked. "I'm full of surprises, Naruto. I figured knowing how to use weapons similar to what Link uses would be a good idea."

Naruto chuckled, then scratched his chin. "True, true. Now, let's do this test again, but this time...No holding back, Saria. Show me what you can really do in a fight! Show me your way of the ninja!" As he spoke, his chakra began to spiral out, forming a maelstrom around him.

Rather than quailing, like she might have when she first entered this new life, Saria simply entered a fighting stance. "You asked for it, Naruto. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Great Forest Rampart!" Saria's voice echoed through the battle-worn clearing, as a thickly grown batch of trees surged out of the ground in a half-circle in front of her, blocking the Rasengans being wielded by Naruto and two of his clones. As the trees were reduced to sawdust, Saria Replaced herself with one of the large chucks, swinging the Deku Staff into Naruto's chest. That copy of Naruto exploded like a bomb, but Saria had already Replaced herself again, this time with a chunk a bit further into the woods.<p>

Quickly, she held out her hand, and crafted a crude bow of wood, with a vine string. Despite its crude appearance, it was a powerful tool, as evidenced by the arrow that pierced clean through the other clone of Naruto.

"What's with you and attacking my belt?!" Naruto yelped as he jumped away from where his clone had just been shot in the waist.

"That's where you are keeping my bell." Saria responded, sinking into the ground as she did so and melding with the roots of a nearby tree. Time to see if she could get her Walking Tree Technique to work in battle conditions.

Much later, the two shinobi were again charging at each other, when two broadswords appeared out of nowhere, and slammed in the ground between the two combatants. Both Naruto and Saria jumped backward, glancing at the tree the swords had flown in from.

"That is enough, Naruto. I think Saria's proven her skill."

Ganondorf teleported in, a smirk on his face. "Saria, your skills have improved greatly. You have learned stealth, combat, and the ninja arts. You've proven to be a good student... Your skills are perfect for what Sasuke has apparently cooked up."

Saria blinked at her enemy-turned-teacher, and looked surprised. "What has he been up to?"

Ganondorf shrugged. "When he pretended to defect to Orochimaru, I anticipated he'd backstab the snake eventually. But, it looks like he's chosen to make things interesting."

Ganondorf then removed a wrapped package. He pulled open the paper, revealling Tobi's mask with the symbol of the Uchiha clan marked on it. "Apparently, Sasuke decided to steal the Zetsu from 'Madara', and, according to the note that came with this, he's left you his own test. You are to use your skills alone to find the Zetsu he's hidden around the world, and take them out."

Saria sighed. "A game of hide and seek? Guess Sasuke's curious about my skills. I'm in."

* * *

><p>"...never again. I'll just walk instead." Saria grumbled slightly as she walked up the beach from the ocean's edge, wringing out her hair as she did so.<p>

"Hey, it was good water-walking practice. And how was I supposed to know that there weather controlling pirates in these waters?"

Saria gave him a flat look. "Says the man who can sense a fly landing a kilometer away?" Spending time on a team with Naruto had led to him growing on her a bit, and made it much easier for her to open up and joke with him. As fun loving as the Kokiri had been, it had been a different, child-like view of fun. Not that Naruto wasn't childish when the mood struck him.

Naruto shrugged under Saria's stare. "Well, maybe. But I'm purposefully not paying attention to all of that, so that these Zetsu's can be a surprise.

Saria huffed, then nodded, before turning to march up the beach some more. She paused briefly to stab a nearby palm tree with a Mokuton-crafted wooden spear, before moving on. Naruto scratched his head as he watched a Zetsu clone unfuse with the palm tree and slump to the ground, the wooden spear still stabbed into him. "You know... I don't think that really should have worked..."

* * *

><p>Saria entered a Rain Country teahouse, disguised as a civilian. She closed the door behind her, and carefully wrung out her hair. Rain was one of the perils of keeping her hair as long as it was. One of the servers came forward, and silently directed her towards one of their empty tables. She smiled and nodded, then sat down and lifted up her menu. Under the pretext of deciding what to drink, she began looking around out of the corner of her eyes. The brightness of the tea house was a sharp contrast to the gloom and rain outside, which probably explained the many people that were in the building. She spotted an older, grey-haired man with a young blonde female, which she recognized as Naruto's feminine transformation. Obviously, they wanted to see how she would handle a Zetsu in a more civilized setting. Focusing with her Mokuton abilities, she reached out to through the building. Some short plants were dotted around in the corners, there was an improperly-trimmed bonsai in one of the offices above the shop, and a couple of the tables were obviously new, given the stronger than usual echo of life that still remained in the wood. Then she felt it, the signature of something plant-like, yet not. It was surprisingly near, and after she followed it, she located her target, well disguised in a brown cloak. It shouldn't need it, given the Zetsu's ability to change their shape. Saria frowned briefly, wondering if Sasuke was deliberately giving her a handicap here, before shrugging it off.<p>

She reviewed her options, making and discarding ideas on how to take out the target without being noticed, and soon came up with an idea. She sighed, shook her head and stood up, walking a somewhat circuitous route towards the door, brushing past the chair of the Zetsu clone as she did so. As she reached the door, she focused her chakra, which she had subtly infused into the chair, and caused a spike of wood to stab out and into the Zetsu's heart. She felt the not-quite-a-plant's chakra fade, and withdrew the spike, before stepping quickly out of the teahouse. As she stepped into the rain, she allowed a few of her tears to fall for the death of the Zetsu.

Ganondorf, undisguised, walked up next to her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Saria. As Forest Sage, I know that you have a deep connection to life. Remember, it was a Zetsu that manipulated the world to revive Kaguya in this Loop's baseline. In this case, it is like weeding a garden, and in others, there will be evil that must be slain to be stopped. We still have many targets to take care of."

Saria nodded, wiping her tears. "Doesn't make it much easier, though."

* * *

><p>The final Zetsu was by far the easiest, compared to any of the others. In fact, it was practically gift wrapped when she arrived at the border of Spring Country. The Zetsu was slain, and tied to a tree off to one side, with sword wounds all over the slain Zetsu. A note was pinned above the corpse, saying, "Keep your games out of here, Naruto!" Naruto had to laugh at this. "Guess this target's been handled already."<p>

Saria nodded, then focused her senses, reaching out. This had been the last Zetsu she had sensed, and so now she started attempting to track the location of just where the Zetsu were being created. Her senses expanded, feeling first the plants all around her, then those farther and farther out. Across the flowers of the country ahead of them, to hardy trees in the mountain behind, and then even further. Finally, she felt a strong signal, similar to the Zetsu she had been hunting. It felt massive, and truly old. Sasuke had to be there...

* * *

><p>Saria's eyes were wide as Sasuke stood atop the twisted tree that he was growing the Zetsu from. "And then, I shall ascend into the heavens. I shall plant my One True Eye upon the surface of the Moon, and I shall claim it as my own. I shall ride it, as my Star of Death across the heavens, raining fire on all who oppose me with my mighty gaze!"<p>

Naruto coughed into his hand discretely. "I don't think she gets the reference. We haven't really had a chance to go over a full 'who's who' in the Multiverse yet."

Sasuke paused, blinking, then slumped. "Aw, I forgot. Man, it's not as fun when they don't get the references I'm making."

Saria lowered her staff slightly. "So... am I supposed to be fighting you now?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No need. My test was mainly for helping you broaden your ability to use your powers. I mean, you had to have been around half the continent away when you ran that detection pulse to find me."

Hands trembling a bit, Saria just nodded, before sliding down to the ground bonelessly and flopping onto her back. Naruto chuckled again. "Oops. Forgot to ask you to tone down your chakra output. You were going at around six or seven Kage's worth there at the end of your speech."

Sasuke sighed and palmed his face. "Yet another thing I forgot."

* * *

><p>27.3 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>"I take it you've met Malon," Saria said to the shared body of Lana and Cia before they decided to split into two as they hid in the Kokiri Forest.<p>

"You must be Saria," Cia said, slightly glaring.

"Cia," Lana scolded her other half. "Sorry, she's still getting used to Link knowing more girls than we thought. I'm Lana, by the way."

Saria then sighed. "Nice to meet you two..." she muttered. "And for the record, most of us have seen Twinrova, so reversing the fusion isn't anything new."

"Dull surprise aside," Cia muttered, "I thought Malon was supposed to be the Girl Next Door type, not a Mad Scientist experimenting with Cuccos!"

Lana then coughed. "Uh, I summon Cuccos...should I be offended?" she asked Cia.

"Yours are more natural than THAT...line of thinking..."

'They could pass off as siblings,' Saria thought, then created a stump to sit on. "The mindset was a result of a Loop gone wrong for her and Ganondorf was Awake at the time. That's all we've been told...still, what in the name of the Deku did she tried to drag you into?"

"She found out we can summon Cuccos," Cia muttered. "She wanted to see if there was a summoning contract...then by impulse..."

"Gold Cucco..." Lana muttered. "I'm sticking to Argoroks for summoning from now on."

'And that's supposed to be her GOOD half?' Saria thought. "Well, you two might want to stay away from her for a few Loops...the Forest Temple's got a bit of a ghost problem, so you might hide out in there until the end of the Loop."

"Thank you so much," Lana said, bowing in front of Saria. "We'll take care of the ghosts...but thank you..."

"Hold it," Cia said, grabbing Lana. "These are the Lost Woods, remember? It's not just a name."

"I know the way by heart," Saria replied. "Just follow me...and don't get separated. There's a Skull Kid in the forest that tends to prank others...almost caused the Moon to drop in a parallel universe...ever hear of Termina?"

"We're familiar with it," Lana and Cia said at the same time, looking at each other nervously.

* * *

><p>27.4<p>

* * *

><p>*Shing* Link hummed softly to himself as he sat in an easy chair, sharpening the oversized broadsword he had laid across his lap. Zelda peered in, and raised her eyebrow.<p>

"And what, exactly, do you think you're doing?"

Link looked up, smiling. "Well, I heard that Fi is going to go out with this Fudd character, and I figured I should take the opportunity to make sure that 'wascaly' hunter knows to treat her right."

Zelda stared at him blankly, before shaking her head as she brought her hand to her forehead. "And for that, you set up a suburban living room in the entrance to Fi's chambers?" She then waved her hand. "No, never mind, I don't want to know. And it's F.L.U.D.D., not Fudd. You know, Mario's robot companion."

Link stared at her for several moments. "Oooohhh..." He then glanced down at his broadsword. After a moment, he nodded, and pushed it back into his Pocket with a flick of his wrist. He then pulled out a massively oversized screwdriver, and started sharpening the tip of that, humming once again. *Shing Shing*

Zelda sighed, then left. 'He doesn't need to know that they left for their date an hour ago.'

* * *

><p>27.5 - (wildrook)<p>

* * *

><p>"There are times I wonder..." Link said, looking at Cia in question, who was still adjusting to two souls in one body.<p>

"Wonder what?" both sides asked him.

Link gave the woman a look. "Well, I've seen you...or rather, your darker half...summon Dark Links and use the power of darkness, but then I remembered something about Lana..."

"And that would be..." Lana said, taking over the body.

"...Dark Links are small fries compared to a woman that can summon Cuccos at her beck and call."

Cia then face-palmed as soon as she took control. "Always with the Cuccos...you two helped a few out in the battlefield, you know?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but only to reunite a mother hen and her chick. And half the time, I'm hoping none of the soldiers do anything stupid to aggravate them."

Mentally, Lana and Cia were discussing something.

"What in Subrosia happened before we started Looping?" Cia asked her lighter half.

Lana then shrugged. "It's like they've turned them into a superweapon or something," she muttered.

"Well, they are pretty vicious in battle...still damages my thought of Malon being the Girl Next Door."

"On the plus side, Saria's fun to hang out with. Even if the Skull Kid tends to show up unannounced."

Walking by, Zelda had looked at Link and the Sorceress.

"Mental conversation?" Zelda asked Link, who nodded. "Huh...I wonder if they stay in one form because of you."

Both mental parts of Cia snap to attention as they see Zelda, one side nearly frowning. Cia knew that Link's not the kind for Romance, but old habits die hard.

"Nice to see you, Your Majesty," Lana said, taking control. "I'm still surprised that Hyrule's in a time of peace."

"Easy," Zelda replied. "I wasn't going to spoil the outing. I was on my way to see Impa about an influx of red balloons somewhere in the Gerudo Desert."

Link cringed and Cia had a mix of fear and disgust.

"Best case scenario is Pennywise," Link said. "Worst case...Tingle's on the warpath."

"There are very few things that disturb me," Cia said, taking control. "Besides Farm Girl's experiments, that...thing...is weirder."

"What IS Pennywise, anyways?" Lana asked them.

"Giant spider alien that takes the form of a clown with the voice of Tim Curry," Link replied. "The only difference between that and Tingle is that Pennywise's balloons don't explode in a torrent of fire. Is Ganondorf Awake?"

Zelda cringed. "Who do you think I got the message from?" she asked them. "Tingle and the Gerudo are having a civil war and he's on the losing end due to Twinrova switching sides."

"Ficus," Link muttered. "We'd better put out the flames quickly."

"Agreed," Zelda replied. Meanwhile, Cia and Lana just looked on, feeling just a little lost.

* * *

><p>27.6 - (KrisOverStreet)<p>

* * *

><p>"The Chairman had a vision of Kitchen Stadium, where master chefs from across all the kingdoms would do battle to prove the superiority of their cooking!"<p>

Ganondorf had experienced strange variant Loops before, but this one took the cake. Indeed, it took thirty-nine cakes.

"And here representing the honor of Kitchen Stadium are our Iron Chefs! Zelda is Iron Chef Hyrule! Link is Iron Chef Kokiri! Malon is Iron Chef Lonlon! And Tingle is Iron Chef Fairy!"

But Ganondorf had learned to roll with the punches in the Loops. He'd adapted swiftly to the rules of this Loop, and he'd risen rapidly through the ranks of chefs with his knowledge of Gerudo traditional cooking.

"Now entering Kitchen stadium is the challenger, Ganondorf, whose chain of Gerudo stir-fry restaurants has stolen the tongues of the kingdoms and enchanted the reviewers! And as the Chairman awaits the challenge, we all await the answer to the question: who's it going to be?"

Ganondorf stood silently for several seconds, as the producers had asked him, and then flung a flamboyant finger in the direction of the strangely dressed little man off to one side. "I want Tingle!"

The angry and dismayed looks on Zelda's and Link's faces were worth the entire Loop, for just that alone. Malon's confusion was almost as good.

"A most interesting choice! Rather than pursue the traditional contrasts between spicy Gerudo and hearty Hyrulian food, or engage in his well-known rivalry with Iron Chef Kokiri, Ganondorf has chosen Tingle! This might be because Tingle is the least experienced of the Iron Chefs and has the worst win-loss record- it could be that Ganondorf is looking for the easy win!"

Partly true, Ganondorf admitted to himself. He did want the easy win. But he also wanted a battle in which Link and Zelda could do nothing, absolutely nothing, to interfere.

"The secret ingredient is... Triforce!"

And the glowing triangles in the center of Kitchen Stadium? Ganondorf hadn't expected that at all, not one little bit... but he was not going to complain.

* * *

><p>One hour of frantic cooking and not a little bit of magic later, the judges received the dishes.<p>

Ganondorf had led with cinnamon toast triangles fried with a mischief enchantment, a salad of sharp chard and parsley in a Triforce-steeped power dressing, his signature stir-fry with smoky ink sauce, and rich chocolate-covered tarts enchanted to remind every judge of an inner dark fantasy. The salad didn't go over well, but the other dishes met with loud and repeated approval from the judges, and as the tarts were finished with happy sighs and chuckles of daydreaming, the dark king smiled. In. The. Bag.

Then Tingle brought forth his dishes: a crisp citrus soup that glowed with an inner light; spun-sugar clouds of light pinks and blues; small bowls of plain gelato to offset the main dish of mild low-fat pork chili (the smell of which made Ganondorf turn green), and simple vanilla crisps. Except for the chili, Tingle's creations had practically no mass whatever, never mind food value. And, interestingly, after the first sip of the soup starter the judges remained absolutely silent for the entire tasting.

So, as Ganondorf and Tingle stood to either side of the Chairman, the Gerudo lord couldn't suppress a triumphant chuckle.

"So who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme?"

Here it comes...

"Iron Chef Tingle!"

WHAT?!

"Let's go to the judges! It was a split decision, with Darunia and Midna enjoying the stouter fare of Ganondorf, but Pumm and Sahasrahla preferred Tingle's fairy cuisine for the lighter, more energetic feeling it gave them! The Chairman broke the tie, giving a rare victory to Iron Chef Fairy! Your champion for the day, Tingle!"

* * *

><p>Dumbledore looked at the replacement Potions teacher spread out on the couch in his office. "So, you want me to Obliviate the whole loop, then?"<p>

"No," Ganondorf moaned. "I can deal with everything up to that point, but the sight of Tingle's victory dance haunts my dreams at night..." The giant warlock shuddered in horror with the momentary recollection.

* * *

><p>27.7<p>

* * *

><p>Link Awoke from the telepathic prodding of an Unawake Princess Zelda. He sat up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, and spotted his uncle standing by the door.<p>

"Stay here, Link. I'll be back in the morning." With that, his uncle headed out the door. Two seconds later, Link was out the door as well. Thirty seconds after that, Link was walking back in, his uncle unconscious on his shoulder, courtesy of a sleep spell to the back. After depositing his uncle into his bed, Link quickly scrawled out a note.

-Off to save princess. Taking sword and shield. Will uphold honor of knights.-

Link wasn't particularly close to his uncle, a product of the fact that he often only got to see him for a few moments at the beginning of a Loop before he would go off and die if Link didn't intervene, but he had memories of his uncle raising him, and he wasn't about to let him die pointlessly. Sometimes, his uncle would revive following the wish on the Triforce, or he would have managed to survive his wounds and crawl home to recuperate, but Link wasn't going to take that chance. He paused on his way out the door, then quickly wrote down a postscript before dashing out to go break Zelda out of prison and use a blessed sword to go stab Agahnim in the face.

-Dried meat in cupboard for breakfast. Will bring some bread home for lunch.-

* * *

><p>27.8<p>

* * *

><p>Link breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet, spring air of Hyrule. He had spent the last Loop in the depths of Aperture Labs, where the air tasted mechanical and stale, with faint hints of sour smells he didn't want to contemplate. He was enjoying the freedom he had here, even if the puzzles that the mechanical boss had confronted him with had been fairly challenging.<p>

He had just come within view of his destination, Zora's Domain, when he heard a distant thud, and someone shouting. Focusing his ears, he strained and caught the last portion of the distant shout.

"...and stay out!"

Link's eyes widened as he caught sight of a small speck in the sky, flying away from Zora's Domain, and he quickly spurred Epona off the path. Moments later, the speck swelled into a large dark figure, which smashed into the road several feet ahead of where Link had been riding, and bounced and skidded down the path, straight past Link, ending up in a small trench about a dozen feet back.

Turning back to the Zora's Domain, Link popped out a spyglass, and focused on the summit. He could just make out the form of Ruto, waving that massive shark-sword of hers overhead. That answered the question of who the other Ping he had sensed was. Link then turned back towards the fallen figure.

Ganondorf, in the meantime, had pulled himself out of the dirt and started to brush himself off. He caught sight of Link just as he was turning back around, pausing, then glancing back up at Zora's Domain. Before Link could speak, Ganondorf quickly raised his hands, framing Zora's Domain between them and tracing them around.

"...a 57 degree arc, and, she must of used the stalagmites as aiming. But then... the dust cloud, of course." And then Ganondorf started to cry.

Link's eyebrows raised, as he stepped forward to... he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, but to do something. Then, Ganondorf pumped his fists into the air.

"Brilliant! She is simply brilliant!" He stepped forward, grabbing Link's shoulders and shaking him slightly. "She not only managed to do a perfect Arcing Villain Ejection, with the requisite retort, but she also managed to aim me to drop straight next to the principle hero for disposal!" Ganondorf laughed loudly, pulling Link into a choking hug. "Oh, I hope it was on purpose, rather than simple coincidence. Either way, Ruto is going to be a fine Hero if I have anything to say about it." Ganondorf then released Link and warped away, leaving Link sprawled dizzily on the ground.

* * *

><p>27.9 - (DrTempo)<p>

* * *

><p>"What."<p>

Ruto looked utterly shocked. Saria had been the Hero of Time this Loop, and had just met up with her. Saria looked like she had during the time after Naruto had returned his training trip during Saria's first Loop (not that Ruto was aware, though she did recognize the ninja stylings of Saria's dress).

"How...what..."

Saria chuckled. "Surprised how I changed since we last met?"

Saria giggled and spun around. She was in the grown up form she had had at the end of her Loop with Naruto, rather than her usual child-like Kokiri form. Her long hair spun around her, kept together in braids, and she struck a pose, while Ruto just huffed jealously. "How the heck are you better looking than me?"

"Genetics."

"That doesn't mean anything!"

Saria laughed as Ruto fumed. "If it helps, Sheik acted the same way."

Ruto growled a bit more, then finally laughed. "Well, I guess it is a little funny." She then clapped her hands. "Shall we get through this dungeon? I love this place..."

* * *

><p>One dungeon later, as Morpha died with a whimper, Saria had to disagree with Ruto.<p>

The Water Temple sucked.

* * *

><p>27.10<p>

* * *

><p>"You call that a Spin Attack! Tuck your elbows in! You need rotation! ROTATION!"<p>

Link huffed and puffed, and wished really hard that that the Deku Tree could have assigned him a regular fairy, rather than this tall man wearing green, with a pair of paper wings taped to his back.

Hidden in a nearby tree, Navi and Saria giggled as they shared a bowl if popcorn and watched Link run his non-Looping counterpart into the ground.

Scrying from a distant stone chamber, Ganondorf and his non-Looping counterpart did the same.

* * *

><p>27.11<p>

A Fond Farewell

* * *

><p>The party had been going on for over a week. Everyone was celebrating the defeat of the Dark God Malladeus, especially because everyone felt they had had a hand in it. Apparently, in this Loop, the Lokomo had died out long ago, leaving the land defenseless against Malladeus' return. Luckily, all of the Hyrulean Loopers had been Awake, so they had been able to come up with a plan, based off of Link and Navi's recent experiences in Reveria. They had travelled the land, gathering the wishes and good will of the various races of Hyrule, while Ganondorf and Vaati had stepped up to oppose Malladeus directly. Once all of the good thoughts of the land were gathered, they had unleashed them on Malladeus, blowing him away completely in a climactic aerial battle above Hyrule Plains. Half the nations had been watching the sky when it happened, and they got to see the white lights of their hopes, their prayers, actually rise to join the final strike.<p>

Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf were seated up against one of the walls of the castle, looking down and out at the party, which resembled a large carnival more than anything. Groups had gathered in Hyrule Field, setting up tents and booths, bringing food and drink and laughter. Link reached over and took another drink of his ever-full mug of cold Lon-Lon Milk, sighing in contentment as he watched Navi battling a Zora Swordsman (Finsman?) and dancing literal circles around him, while Midna stood off to the side, taking wagers.

"That was a good battle."

Ganondorf chuckled and raised his mug in a toast. "Indeed. Just enough of a challenge to work up a sweat, but not with any of the existential terror some battles might bring."

Zelda sighed. "Seriously, getting a makeover is not that scary."

Ganondorf and Link looked at each other, then back at Zelda and they both just shook their heads. She let out a huff and flopped backwards. "Fine, be that way."

After a moment, all three of them were laughing lightly. Overhead, several rockets shot across the sky from inside the city, bursting into a brilliant firework display, with a couple of trick fireworks bursting to form the shape of the Triforce, of the Hylian Crest, the face of a Goron, and more. Link and Ganondorf laid backwards, joining Zelda in watching the fireworks bursting overhead.

"...um, excuse us?"

The three glanced up, almost as one, to see Lana and Cia standing on the path along the wall a short ways down, looking somewhat nervous as they watching Ganondorf.

Zelda sat up and gestured for them to take a seat next to the group. "Yes, what is it?"

The pair approached and sat down, glancing at each other occasionally, before Cia gave a loud huff. "Oh, this is stupid. We don't even..." She cut herself off, scowling, before turning to stare at the three pseudo-Anchors. "How do you do it?"

The three of them looked at each other, then back at Cia. "Do what?" Link asked for all of them.

"The Loops. It's..." she trailed off.

Lana piped in. "When I first...split...from Cia, I kept myself going with the thought that 'once this is all over, I can go and live with Link and be happy'. Even when I, when I realized that I wouldn't, I still had the thought that I could settle down when it is all over. Cia, she..."

"I can speak for myself," Cia snapped. "I knew that once I won, I could rule and be happy. But there is no ending now! We just keep going, and it never stops. How can you keep going, when After never comes?"

The three Loopers were silent for a long moment, before Zelda reached up to point down at the party. "Do you see that man, the heavyset one with the too-small armor?" Lana and Cia peered out, before nodding. "His name is Greyault, and the Goron lady next to him is Pyrin. Those two always seem to get together, whatever the Loop may be. They both live their lives, with their unconventional romance, never thinking about the dangers that may lurk for them, the hardships." Zelda turned to face the two guardians of time, her face pensive. "For me, personally, it is the little things, getting to see the marks that I and others have left on the world. You know my hobbies, matchmaking, after a fashion. It isn't just for finding new forms to wear, but because it gives me the chance to truly see the ripples my life can leave, the After, as you say, and what comes beyond even that."

Ganondorf spoke next, as Zelda lapsed into silence. "I crave victory. To set a goal and accomplish it, from conquering nations, to raising a child, to being the greatest chef in the land. Due to the Loops' nature, I cannot erect monuments to my triumphs, nor have my name, mine and not some other wearing my face, sung in ballad and song through the ages. Yet I have found a form of immortality in training, in taking those paltry few who claim the title of villain and making something worthy of them, in taking those heroes that oppose them and honing them into something better, even if they never recognize it." He turned to stare straight at them. "I do these things because Now is my moment. When time winds up again, and I once again begin in a new life, I will set my sights on a new victory to achieve under the light of a new day."

The group then turned to Link, who was staring down at his hand. He then turned to the rest, and sighed.

"Hup hup hiyah." He stated in a flat voice. Zelda groaned, while Ganondorf manifested a blade of dark flame and swung at Link's head. Link blocked it with a mirror bright shield, grinning. "I've gone through the motions in many Loops, taking the path of the hero because it was easier than trying to settle down. It was Navi and Midna who made it a goal to keep disrupting me and forcing me into the most boring roles they could find, to slow down, in their words."

Link leaned back, laying his head against the roots of the bush behind him. "I think, the only words of wisdom I have are, don't try and just focus on one thing, to the exclusion of everything else. Malon and Navi both went down that road for a while, as did I, and even Ganondorf, though he won't admit it." Link blocked a fireball on his shield, before continuing, "There isn't just a single thing that can keep your focus, your drive, forever. It's true, it is a truly scary thing to realize, that we have eternity stretched before us. Perhaps in truth. Even if Time is fixed and allowed to flow on its proper course, would any of us truly cease, living that single lifetime and then just dying and moving on?"

Cia and Lana both paused, as the three sitting in front of them seemed to swell, almost, becoming something more, though nothing actually physically shifted about them. Link broke the silence.

"In the end, the greatest advice I have is find joy. Find it in the small things." He smiled as he spied a small white mask, floating around and pestering an obviously flustered Happy Mask Salesman. D, trying to get his 'cousins' to wake up and talk to him. "Hold onto it while you have it." Impa and Vaati were sitting in a ring around a fire, with several soldiers and mercenaries, laughing and drinking while they shared stories of battle and adventure. "Treasure the memories, but don't lose yourself dwelling on them." Saria was sitting on a stump, playing her ocarina, while Ruto and Fi danced around her, several onlookers crying silently at the beautiful sight. "Though our time might be unlimited, every moment we have here, now, is precious, and made more precious by the fact we know we won't see it again." Malon was riding the version of Epona out across the field, under the light of the rising moon. "Never spend a single instant on something that you won't enjoy."

*CRUNCH* *sniff* "That's simply beautiful."

The Loopers jumped, while Link flailed wildly, as the bush he had been leaning against shifted and popped upward, revealing a narrow stairway and a slightly hunched, white-bearded man.

"Librari?!" Zelda looked shocked. "It's been a long time."

The old man nodded his head. "Hmm, yes. I got bored waiting for the hero to finally come down, so I decided to peek out. I've about run out of books to read, anyway."

Link stood, brushing himself off. "Huh, I guess I haven't gone looking for those hideaways as often any more."

Librari waved a hand. "It's alright. Albus lent me a copy of his library, so I've had plenty to keep me busy these last hundred Loops or so."

The group was silent, but before they could process this, Librari turned to Zelda. "And I thank you for the album of pictures. I've found that they always bring a smile to my face, especially the picture of your companions trying to ride those cactuses."

Zelda's smile froze, then she carefully stepped away from the group, before turning to dash off, with Link and Ganondorf following with twin cries of "You said you burned them!" echoing after them. Librari chuckled, before emerging fully from the hole, and making his way down towards the grand party. Behind him, Lana and Cia sat, leaning against each other, both of them thinking about the future, and enjoying the chance to just be there in the moment.

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>THE END<strong>_

* * *

><p>27.1 - Now introducing the Twins of Time: Cia and Lana!<p>

27.2 - Saria has been working out!

27.3 - Malon wants that Summoning Hula Hoop!

27.4 - Don't take that tone with me, young lady. Go straight to your sheath and think about what you've done.

27.5 - For a fairy-obssessed middle aged man, Tingle can be a fearsome general. Having pockets full of Rupees really helps.

27.6 - Fortunately, thanks to certain Loops, what has been seen can be unseen.

27.7 - Link's To-Do List: 1) Chop some wood for the fireplace. 2) Defeat the source of all evil. 3) Fix the squeaky wheel on the cart.

27.8 - Great Teacher Ganondorf hones the powers of heroes and villains alike.

27.9 - Ruto has a bit of a different take on swimming levels.

27.10 - Link is just so hard on himself.

27.11 - A final farewell bash.

* * *

><p>And yes, this is it for me. It has been a good run, but I find myself drifting away from the Infinite Loops, so I figured I would give this a clean break. I hope you have enjoyed this. Future Legend of Zelda snippets, and maybe a few reruns, will be found through the more general Nintendo Loops.<p> 


End file.
